That Was Then
by ThatDreamerWriter
Summary: Fourteen-year-old Lux is dedicated to get emancipated after spending her entire life in foster-care. But there's one thing getting in the way, the signatures of her two biological-parents, Stefanie and Mike Foster. (All Characters Included)
1. Chapter 1

**So, this is sort of like a crossover between Life Unexpected and The Fosters But NOT REALLY. Don't let that discourage you. You won't need to know a thing about Life Unexpected to continue reading.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Italics= character's thoughts.**

* * *

**Chapter 1**

* * *

**Lux's POV**

By the time I get to Villa Mariposa, I'm completely surprised by how nice the neighborhood looks.

_This isn't the typical crack-head area I was expecting my birth mother to live in._ _I knew that San Diego was actually a pretty nice area to begin with, but I was still expecting something more… dangerous-looking?_

I glance down at the yellow paper I ripped out of the phone book earlier. I stared at almost a thousand times, just to make sure I didn't misread it.

_Nope, Villa Mariposa, San Diego, California; I got it right. Hmm…. Maybe this isn't the right "Stefanie Foster." Maybe I should've double-checked on the internet or something… _I don't know exactly why but I wanted to be wrong. To think that this woman was "almost normal" was my last inclination. It had never crossed my mind and deep down I understood perfectly why.

_What foster-kid wants to actually think that their parents willingly decided to give them up? _

_At least if my mother was a crack-addict, I could blame her addiction. I could tell myself that she wasn't physically able to take care of me so she gave me up, hoping that I'd have better parents one day. _

_Or I could even tell myself that cps took me away from her because they didn't deem her "fit" to be a parent. _

But this neighborhood didn't sit well with me…_ Whatever, Lux. This is exactly why you want to get emancipated. After Friday, you won't ever have to feel unwanted again. Just get it over with, _I coach myself, as I find the strength to keep walking down the street.

Finally, I'm able to make out the numbers on the houses.

2324…

2326…

2328…

2330.

For a while, I stand in front of a big brown house that's covered with green plants. _This is where she lives?_ I ask myself as I turn my attention to the driveway and notice a grayish car. _It's not the car I imagined my birth mother driving, but at least someone's home. It would suck to have to sit outside all day, especially in this ridiculous heat._

_Alright… I came for one thing and one thing only._

_Well two things. Stefanie's signature and to ask about the whereabouts of Mike, so that I could get his signature._

_No tea._

_No brunch, or whatever these rich people eat._

_Just those two things._

* * *

With that in mind, I walk over toward the door and knock loudly three times. That's when I realized that there was a doorbell and felt stupid. "Really, Lux? Really?" I whisper. I pressed the buzzer and was surprised that it actually worked. _If no one heard the knocking, someone would definitely hear the bell._ I ring it again just for fun.

That's when I hear someone unlatching the locks from the other side. I immediately straighten my posture and take the smile off of my face when I see the door swing wide-open.

A dark-skinned woman with curly hair stares at me strangely. I know that she's wondering who the hell I am but she doesn't ask that.

"Hi… May I help you?"

"Uh…" is all I can muster out. "This has got to be the wrong house," I mumble as I step back a few inches, almost tripping on the porch-steps, to glance at the number on the house again.

"Hi," she says again as if I hadn't heard her. "Who are you looking for? I'm pretty friendly with all of our neighbors. Maybe I can help?" she smiles at me as she takes a step outside.

I look her over intently and try to find any resemblance at all. By the awkward look on her face, I realize that she thinks I'm behaving strangely. "Sorry... Uh, are you… You're not…Stefanie Foster by any chance? Are you?"

She smiles, "Oh. Uh, no, I'm not Stefanie…"

_Great! I've made this trip for nothing! I'm still no closer to finding my birth mom and getting these damn signatures._

"I'm Lena. Stef's my wife."

I chuckle at her sense of humor, "Ha, good one. No, but seriously? Do you know if there's a Stefanie Foster around here. It's important that I speak with her. It will only take a second."

She crosses her arms over her body. "It wasn't a joke," she responds with a more serious tone. "Stef's not here at the moment. Is there something that I can help you with?"

My face falls flat. _Oh crap! Did I just insult her?_ "Um… No, I just… Do you know what time she'll be back?" My cheeks start burning with embarrassment, but I try to remain as cool as a cucumber.

"Uh…she doesn't get off of work until 6, so by that time…"

I glance down at my watch, "It's 2:30 now, so that's about three hours…"

_Damn! I have to wait out here for 3-and-a-half hours for her to get back. Of course she's at work. It's a Tuesday. Why didn't I think about that?_ _Oh that's right… I thought she was a crack-head… _I sigh deeply in frustration. By the look on the woman's face, I can tell that she was taken aback by it.

"If it's something important, I can tell her to come home early..." she offers.

"No," I shake my head. _It's not that important to her anyway_. "…I'll just wait for her, thanks." I smile at the woman, already feeling uncomfortable for laughing at her a few minutes earlier.

"You're going to wait outside in this 103 degree weather? And it's not important?" she questions with her eyebrows raised. I just stare at her, obviously not liking the fact that she was reading too much into it. "I'm not leaving you out there to fry… Come on in," she offers nicely.

"I'm okay to wait...But thank you," I answer. "Do you mind if I wait out here?" I point to the bench on the porch. "…Just so I'm not in the sun…"

She stares at me strangely, "…I'm not going to bite you, ya know?"

"No, I know," I assure her.

"Uh, it just wouldn't seem right to leave you out there in this heat. My wife would kill me if she came home and saw that I left you outside in a hundred-degree weather. You'll be doing _me_ a favor." She steps back inside and holds the door open for me to enter.

I smile awkwardly and reluctantly follow her in. I'm amazed at the sudden cool air from the air conditioner they had on. She closes the door behind her, letting all of the musky-hot air disintegrate.

"Have a seat in the living room," she points to the small room to the left of the hallway. "Would you like something to drink? You must've been hot out there when you were walking."

"No, thanks. I'm fine," I reply as I take a seat on one of the couches. If my legs could talk, they would thank her too, for the sudden break from all of the walking I had to do to get here. "I have water in my bag," I inform her, causing her to nod. _It was true. I did have water. A few sips were left inside of my Poland Spring water bottle that I was saving. I'm sure it tastes as if it had been boiling for an hour, but I didn't want to waste it completely._

_And I wasn't going to ask for a thing._

_Not even a glass of water._

_I hated asking for things. People always think you owe them something afterwards._

_Which is why I didn't want to come inside of her house in the first place._

The woman and I share an awkward moment of silence that I felt lasted a lifetime.

"Well, I'll be right back. Make yourself at home," she smiles again and walks off.

_What the hell is she talking about? Make yourself at home? Why would she tell that to a complete stranger?_ I shake my head as I wonder how these rich people could be so trusting.

* * *

**Lena's POV**

I wasn't sure who this girl was or why she was looking for Stef, but I couldn't just leave her outside for almost four hours, regardless of the fact that I didn't know her.

If it were Mariana or Callie, I wouldn't like it if someone thought it was okay to leave one of them outside like that.

I run into the kitchen the moment I'm out of the girl's sight. I know that I shouldn't have left her alone, but calling Stef right in front of her would've been rude, and I was afraid she was going to offer to wait outside again if I did.

I wait impatiently as the phone rings a few times. The second that I think that the voicemail is going to pop up she answers, "Hey, babe. Is there something else you need me to grab from the store on my way home?"

"Uh, no. I'm not calling for that. You do know that a kid just showed up here looking for you, right?"

"Showed up at the house?" she asks in disbelief. "No? Who was it?"

"A young girl, maybe 15? Blonde hair, green eyes, petite..." I wait for a response hoping that she knew exactly whom I was talking about. I didn't want to believe that I left a complete stranger in my living room. And when she doesn't answer I get nervous, "Stef?"

"That's weird. I don't give my address to people at work… Are you sure this girl was looking for me?"

"She called you Stefanie, instead of Stef, but she did say Foster.

"Uhuh," she responds. "Did she say what she wanted?" Stef asks with sudden interest.

"No, she said that it wasn't important, but…"

"You think that it's important?" she finishes, reading my mind. I know that she assumes I'm exaggerating, by her tone though.

"Yes."

"Uhuh. Did she leave her name and number?"

"No, I didn't ask. And well… she's sort of waiting for you."

"In the house? Lena?" Stef asks with anger and then worry in her voice.

"I know, I know!" I whisper-scream. "But what was I supposed to do? Leave her outside until you got home?"

Stef breathes heavily on the phone, "Are you at least watching her? Making sure that she's not taking anything?"

"Yes, I am," I answer in an annoyed voice, even though it's a complete lie. "Can you just come home, so I don't have to figure out how to entertain her for the next 4 hours?"

"Oh, that would be funny," Stef laughs.

"Stef," I warn.

"Okay. I'm coming." she answers in defeat.

"Alright. I love you."

"Love you too."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

* * *

**Brandon's POV**

I walk in from piano rehearsal with the Grimm Reaper and all I want to do is run upstairs and go to bed. It's bad enough that I know I can't play like I use to, but to hear my teacher constantly reminding me isn't helping.

I throw my jacket on top of the coat rack and start to walk towards the stairs, when I see a blonde girl in a yellow shirt with a ladybug on it that reads "Don't Bug Me."

"Hey," I wave at her and she gives me a forced smile back. "Uh… I'm Brandon."

"Lux," she responds flatly.

I nod. "So… are you waiting for one of my sisters?"

"Uh… I have no idea…I'm actually waiting for Stefanie."

"Oh," I nod again. "You know my mom's at work, right?"

"Your mom? Wow…if this isn't the most awkward moment of my life…" she continues in a flattened-tone

I stare at her, wondering what exactly her problem is. "…My mom doesn't get out of work until after 6 so…does she know you're here?"

"Uh, no. Her wife let me in and said I can wait for her."

"You're waiting for her?" I question.

"Yeah."

"And my mom let you in?"

"No. Stefanie's wife did," she tries to correct.

"That's my other mom… Lena," I inform her with a bit of an attitude.

Lux squints her eyes at me as she just considered what I just said, but didn't really care. "Okay then."

"Well… Have fun waiting."

"I'll have a blast," she answers sarcastically, and I catch her rolling her eyes before I leave the room.

* * *

_What the hell is this girl's problem? _I think to myself while I walk into the kitchen and see Mama pouring two glasses of water, "So, uh? Who's that girl in the living room?"

"Just a friend of your mom's, I think."

"You think?" I question.

"Brandon, your mom's on her way. Don't worry about it, okay? Just be nice. Don't start policing her or anything like that. Just wait until she gets here and handles it. Okay?"

"I wasn't going to police her," I try to defend.

She gives me a look but I can tell that she's hiding a smile. "Brandon, I know you. You can be just like your mother at times. It's a cross you bear. But listen; let your mom deal with it when she gets here. I don't want you making this girl feel weird and having her leave and then come back. Just… I don't know? Be."

"Okay, I'll just… I don't know. Be."

"Brandon," she chastised.

"I got it."

"Okay," she looks at me with a confused expression right before she leaves the room with the glasses.

I follow her out of curiosity.

* * *

**Lux's POV**

As soon as Brandon leaves, I spot a picture of a ton of people on the wall. I glance around and realize that no one is looking at me, so I stand up and walk over to the picture frame. I grab it into my hands to inspect it. I notice a blonde wrapped around Lena's arms and realize that she might be Stefanie.

I run my fingers over her facial features and try to find a resemblance. Besides the blonde hair, I don't really see one.

_Maybe this isn't the right Stefanie Foster_, I repeat again.

I study all of the other people in the photograph and notice that I don't resemble anyone of them.

The second I hear footsteps in the hallway, I immediately put the picture back down and throw myself onto the nearest couch.

Lena walks in with Brandon following right behind her. She smiles at me again, "I brought you some water," she says as she places the glass in front of me on the table.

"I said I wasn't—"

She interrupts, "I know. I brought it just in case."

I nod, even though I have no intention to drink it.

"So… How do you know my wife, if you don't mind me asking?" Lena asks.

"Oh, I don't really know her. I've never even met her. Well…maybe once? I'm not even sure," I mumble the last part.

"Oh," Lena responds and I know that made absolutely no sense to her.

_I knew I should've waited outside. The heat rays making my skin boil sounds like a better option than having to sit through this awkward conversation._

I can tell that she expects me to continue talking, but I won't. _The less information I give, the better._

"If you've never met her, then why are you here?" Brandon interjects angrily.

"I need her signature on something."

"Her signature?" Lena questions.

"At least, I think it's her signature" I murmur. I look back up at the two faces that are giving me confused looks, "It's complicated. I'd rather just talk to Stefanie about it."

* * *

**Stef's POV**

I walk into my house and quickly make my way over to the living room, searching for the girl that my wife probably let roam around my house. Luckily, I find Lena, Brandon, and the young blonde girl, who I still don't recognize, sitting in the living room.

"Hey Love," I greet Lena and give her a quick peck on the lips and place my hand on Brandon's shoulder. I look over to the girl again, "Hi. Can I help you?"

She stares at me strangely for a long time, before she finally speaks, "You're Stefanie Foster?" she asks in disbelief.

"Uhuh," I assure her with a nod.

"…And you're a cop?" she continues with the same tone.

I squint my eyes at her, "Yes?"

"Oh, sorry. Um… Is there somewhere else we can… talk?" she asks as she stares at me and then Brandon and Lena.

"That's not necessary. We'll leave you two alone" Lena says, while getting up and practically dragging Brandon toward the kitchen.

I turn around and try to smile at her, but I'm still a little suspicious as to what she's doing here in the first place. I actually prefer that Lena and Brandon left the room now, because I wasn't sure exactly who this kid was, or why she was looking for me if she didn't even know me. I didn't want them to be there if I had to kick her out for whatever reason. "So, what's up?" I question in a firm tone. She was a kid, but I knew better than to given into her looks.

"Oh, yeah. Right…" She pulls a paper out of her pocket and glances down at it, "Is your birthday June 1st, 1973?"

_How does she know that? _

"Yes. How do you know that?"

"Because, I'm sort of…comprised of half your gene pool," she mumbles.

"What?" I ask in confusion.

"I'm your daughter."

"My what?" I ask her after I'm positive I've misheard her.

"Your daughter."

I take a second to breathe and try to figure out how I'm going to let this girl down, "…Look, I'm sorry, kid. I think you've been mistaken. I don't have a daughter. Well, that's not true. I have two daughters, but I'm pretty sure they're having lunch at school right now."

"Oh… So… you didn't have a kid on September 24, 2000 at St. Rose hospital with a guy named Mike Foster?" she asks me to validate.

_How does she know that? Only Mike and Lena knew about that. _"Where are you getting this information from?" I question angrily. _I hated even thinking about that day._

"So, did you or didn't you? Have a baby, I mean…"

"Yes. She was stillborn. And I don't know how you found out about any of this but—"

The blonde teen scratches her head in confusion, "Yeah, I don't think so. I'm pretty sure I'm not dead so…"

I can't even force myself to respond to her.

The teen sighs heavily, "Look, I'm not hear to ask you for anything if that's what you're thinking. Trust me, I'm not—"

"What?" I continue as I try to wrap my head around how barbaric all of this sounded. "What are you… I don't…" I shake my head in protest.

"Look… Stefanie," she sighs again. "Okay, you and someone had a kid. You gave up that kid. _I am_ that kid. And now I'm applying for emancipation." She waits for me to respond, but I'm still mentally trying to figure out how she wound up with all of this information. "…Okay… So, I was putting together the paperwork for my hearing and it turns out that no one ever signed a permanent release of rights." She hands the paper to me and continues, "My case worker was going to take forever to get it signed, so when I saw your name on the top of the file, I just kinda…Okay, basically until you sign that piece of paper you are still legally… my mom."

* * *

I scan the paper and glance at all of the information on it. Her name, her birthday, my birthday, Mike's. It's all correct.

"I can't sign this," I try to give it back but she doesn't take it.

"No! Look! Okay, I know that you must've convinced yourself that I was a stillborn or whatever, but I really really need you to sign this paper. I promise you that I'm not trying to hassle you for money or anything. Once you sign the paper, I promise that I'll never bother you again. I swear! It will be like none of this ever happened. And you can go back to believing that I'm dead, or whatever else you want to believe—"

I take a deep breath. _This has been a mix-up,_ I rationalize. "Lux, is it?"

"Uhuh," she answers.

"I can't sign this. It's not that I don't want to. It's because… I'm notyour mother… I'm sorry," I explain, attempting to hand the paper back over to her again.

She snatches it back, "Listen, Stefanie. Stef, whatever you go by. I don't want to be here as much as you don't want to have me here. The thing is… my emancipation hearing is the day after tomorrow and if I don't get these signatures, both signatures, then I'm going to have to spend another four years bouncing around foster care with Scope drinking moms and creepy dads that try to hit on me, which, to be blunt, blows! Now if you could just sign this!"

I grab the paper in my hands and I have half a mind to sign it, just to help the girl out…but then I look over at her again, "I'm not signing this. I'm sorry."

"Why not?" she practically yells.

"Because…"

"Because why?" she snaps.

"Lux," I try to keep my cool even though this stranger yelling at me in my own house was making me irritable. " I can't sign it because I'm not your mother."

"But the paper says—"

"I know what the paper says," I interrupt her. "But you are not my kid. There has been a mix-up at the hospital and—"

"What mix-up! It's your name! Your birthday! Mike's name! Mike's birthday! My name! My birthday! And it's a birth certificate! Not a death one! I'm standing right here!"

"Oh my God!" I practically yell as I try not to make eye contact with her, before I grab the girl by her arm and start to walk her over toward the front door.

"Let go of me!" she argues as I watch her struggle to break free. "Where are you taking me?"

"If you're not going to listen to me, then we're going to the hospital and figuring this out, once and for all!"


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

* * *

**Stef's POV**

The second I'm able to get the girl out of the house and shut the door behind us she yanks her arm away. "What the hell is your problem, lady?"

I grab onto her arm again and walk her over to the car. I was determined to get her in it whether she liked it or not.

"You're hurting me!" she yells again as she tries to unlatch my grip with her other hand.

I instinctively let her go, realizing that _she was a kid_ and not a suspect that was resisting arrest. I hadn't meant to be so rough with her, but she was bringing up memories that I had tried so hard over the past years to erase.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" she snaps as she backs away fearfully, despite her loud tone.

I take a deep breath, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—"

"All I asked for was your signature! It would've taken two damn seconds from your life!"

"I'm not your mother," I try to tell her. "I can't legally sign something, knowing that I'm forging someone else's signature."

"It's your own name! How is it forging?"

"I know this is difficult to understand but—"

"You're the one making it difficult!" she counter-argues.

I ignore her and open the back seat of the squad car. _If physically taking her to the hospital and showing her that I wasn't her mother was the only way to prove it, then I would spend the rest of my afternoon doing so. Not only was the memory of that day taking a toll on me, but I don't want anyone else finding out about any of this_. I was just trying to prevent that, and this girl doesn't look like she plans to accept my word for it. "Get in," I direct her as I hold the car door open.

"You're going to arrest me now? For what?"

I sigh deeply before I continue, "No. I'm going to take you to St. Rose's."

"For what?" she questions again with a little bit more of an attitude than I would like right now.

"So we—so _the hospital_ can settle this," I correct.

The girl glances all around her as if the response to my suggestion was written around somewhere.

"Fine… But if I'm right, which I know I am, because I think you're a liar…. either that or a psychopath, not sure which one yet. But if I'm right, you have to sign the paper," she crosses her arms over her chest, giving me a determined look.

"Sure." I answer calmly, trying my best to ignore the fact that she just called me a liar and a psychopath.

She walks over to me, "You have to say it."

"Say what?"

She lets out a frustrated breath and slaps her leg, "That you promise to sign the paper."

"Okay, I promise."

"Okay… fine," she finishes as she throws me a skeptical look before she gets into the car.

_This had to be a mix-up with the paperwork or there had to be some logical explanation for all of this. One of the nurses at the hospital must've filled out the wrong paperwork or placed our papers in the wrong file,_ I reason.

_Maybe this'll even be beneficial for her. She could get the right information that she needs to find her real parents so she can try to get the signatures from them. And she won't show up at my house again, scaring my wife and children._

_Win. Win._

* * *

**Lux's POV**

_This woman is completely off her rocker. I can't help but wonder if she has some sickness that she doesn't know about. _

_Multiple Personality Disorder would explain it. I mean, she is married to a woman but has been pregnant… which doesn't really add up if you ask me. _

_Bipolar Disorder? Maybe. She could've gone through a manic state and gotten pregnant somehow. I can't help but picture Aileen Wuornos, the first bipolar serial killer that the movie 'Monster' was made about. She was a lesbian too. Come to think of it, she kind of resembled this Stefanie Foster woman a bit… Okay, not really, but I still won't completely disregard the illness. _

_Whatever she has, we're going to the hospital so maybe they could help her out some. I think back to the gun she had lodged onto her hip. _

_Isn't there a law that prohibits people with mental illnesses to carry a gun? And she's worried about forging a signature of her own name… _

_Schizophrenia, maybe?_

"Hey, so how old are you anyway?" she asks suddenly, causing me to literally jump in my seat. She chuckles as if she was satisfied with startling me, "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you."

_Bipolar for sure_.

"I'll be turning fourteen on Thursday."

"Oh, right… And you're trying to get emancipated?" she asks.

"Uhuh," I answer flatly. _If you weren't being such a bitch and just signed the papers already, I could be that much closer to doing it._

"Are you sure you want to do that? I mean, you still have plenty of time to find a—"

"Yes, I'm sure." I answer harshly. The last thing I needed was for another person telling me that I was dreaming. I had enough of that from my ugly foster mother this morning.

"Okay…" she mumbles defensively. "...You know, you should be able to get the actual names of your biological parents from the hospital. That should help, right?" She looks at me from the rearview mirror.

"Yeah, maybe." I say flatly. _Or maybe they'll realize how insane you are and give me some type of waiver to exempt your signature from the permanent release of rights form._

* * *

As soon as we get to the hospital, I see Stefanie walk up to the front desk and I let her do the talking. I make my way over to one of the seats in the waiting room to sit down. _If I had to walk back to my foster mom's house from here, I knew I had to save my energy. I look back over to where her and one of the secretaries are talking. And it seems as if the secretary is searching for the files on her computer screen_.

At this point, I have no idea what I'm hoping for. Part of me wants her to be my mother, just so she'd sign the stupid paper she apparently forgot to sign years ago. _If she had signed it then, none of this would've been necessary and I'd be that much closer to getting what I want. _

_Correction: what I need._

But the other part of me wants to be proven wrong. That would mean that I have to do a lot more searching for my real birth parents, but at least I wouldn't have a nutcase for a mother.

I watch as the secretary walks over to the printer and hands some papers to Stefanie, and I immediately stand up and walk over to the two of them. I didn't want to miss anything important.

"Here is Lux's birth certificate. The parents are listed right here." I look where the woman is pointing and see that under mother, Stefanie Foster's name is printed then signed. And under father, Mike Foster's name is printed and signed.

* * *

**Stef's POV**

I take a closer look at the piece of paper and try to examine both signatures. Although they both resemble our handwriting, I'm 100% positive, that I've never signed it. I look over at Lux, who is giving me an I-told-you-so look.

But none of this makes any sense. I turn my attention back to the secretary, "No, there must be some sort of mistake. I've never signed this certificate. My child was a stillborn. I saw her." I try to keep my tone as stern as possible, regardless of the fact that talking about her, always made me want to cry.

"This isn't your signature, ma'am?"

"No. I mean yes, it is. But I didn't sign it."

"Okay, well I'll check the system again. What's the date of birth?"

"September 24, 2000," Lux answers.

"Okay, one second," the woman says as she punches the keys into the keyboard. "Well, the same certificate keeps popping up… Are you sure that was the day you came in, ma'am?"

"Of course I'm sure," I yell loudly from annoyance. _I remember it as if it were yesterday. How could I forget?_

"Excuse me," one of the nurses interrupts as she steps in back of the secretary and looks at us. "Is everything okay over here? …Donna?"

"Nurse Silver, this woman claims that she had a stillborn child, but our records prove otherwise."

"Who was the primary doctor assigned to her that day?" the nurse questions the secretary.

"What does that have to do with anything?" I ask her.

"One second," she holds up her index finger to me and glances at the computer screen.

"Dr. Greene," the secretary reports back.

"Oh…" The nurse looks up to me with worry in her voice, but turns back to the secretary. "Print that file and check if there were any other births on the same day."

"Okay," the secretary agrees as clicks on her mouse pad. "Uhuh. There was one more."

"Okay, print that too."

"Can you two have a seat in the waiting area, while I go check something. I will be right back with the two of you."

"What's going on?" I inquire in an annoyed voice, after realizing how nervous she became after hearing the doctor's name. I instantly knew that something was up.

"That's what I'm going to try to find out for you ladies. I'll come back to get you the second I do," she smiles but I can still see the worry in her eyes.

I let out a long breath before I answer, "Okay. We'll be right here waiting."

"Okay, great," Nurse Silver nods her head.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

* * *

**Stef's POV**

I glance at my watch for the hundredth time since the nurse left us here. It's only been a little over thirty minutes but I'm growing impatient… Lux keeps popping her bright yellow gum in her mouth, which I am almost positive that she's only doing to purposely annoy me. But to be honest, the nurse's reaction worries me even more. _Why did she look so startled?_ _That was never a good thing in my line of work._

"You shouldn't have let her go," Lux finally breaks the silence. "She's not coming back for at least another hour," Lux complains.

I look up and see her glaring at me, as if all of this was my fault. After we have a silent staring-match with each other, she eventually gives up and starts to walk away from me.

"Where are you going?" I ask abruptly.

She doesn't even bother turning around to answer, but stops in front of a water dispenser, grabs a small cup and starts filling it.

I relax a little and look down at my watch again. That's when I have to stand up. "This is ridiculous," I mumble beforeI make my way over to the help desk again, "Excuse me. Hi. I've been waiting to speak with the nurse for a while and I have to get back to work soon."

"Ma'am, you're at a hospital…"

"I know that, but I'm not a patient," I remind her.

"Nurse Silver will be with you as soon as she can."

I couldn't believe how frustrated I was getting with this woman. I knew I wouldn't have if the nurse hadn't acted so… guilty. _Why did she get so agitated at the mention of Dr. Greene's name?_

"Mrs. Foster?" Nurse Silver comes out of a small room, and judging by the look on her face, I'm not sure that she has any good news for me.

"Yes?" I answer immediately. Normally, I would correct her and let her know that it was Adams Foster now, but I wasn't in the mood for any of that.

"Sorry about the wait. Can you ladies follow me into my office, please?"

"You have an office?" Lux retorts from behind me.

"Yes… I'm the head nurse."

* * *

As soon as she closes the door behind us, she tells us to take a seat. "Alright, I'm Nurse Silver, and I'm sorry about my secretary. She's new and our files aren't exactly organized…"

"That's okay," I respond. The last thing either Lux or I wanted to hear was the nurse stalling.

"Well, this isn't going to be easy to hear, but…you two need to hear it…Dr. Greene, your primary doctor fourteen years ago, was fired about 10 years ago for doing something very similar to this actually..." The nurse takes a breath and examines my face, which surely has confusion written all over it.

"What do you mean 'something like this'?" I ask with concern.

Nurse Silver looks over to Lux before she continues, "We discovered that he had forged signatures onto birth certificates before…"

"So, Stefanie's not my birth mom?" The tone in Lux's voice shows her confusion.

I glance down and try to keep my mind focused, even though my heart goes out to the girl. _None of this would've happened if it weren't for that doctor mixing up the paperwork._

"No, I didn't say that," the nurse corrects. "He may have forged the signatures, but we found two birth certificates in the system with your name. Both certificates were written by Dr. Greene, but one had Stefanie and Mike's signature, while another had Jacqueline and Thomas Jenkins' signature. Other than that, everything else on them was identical." She placed the two forms in front of us to look at.

"Why would she have two different birth certificates?" I ask.

"Mrs. Foster, can I ask you a personal question? It's okay if you don't want to answer, but it could help us determine exactly what happened."

I nod after I look over at Lux, who is staring at me as well. Regardless of the fact that I feel completely uncomfortable with where I think this is heading, I would rather get to the bottom of this sooner rather than later. "Go ahead," I urge her.

"Okay… did you ever hold your baby when she was born?"

I stare at the woman for a while; wanting nothing more than to run out of the hospital and never come back. I try to keep my body as stiff as possible. "No…Um…I didn't want to. But I saw that she wasn't moving. My husband saw her too. And the doctor told me that she died during childbirth… I asked him to get her out of the room once I found out… I thought that holding her would've been too…" I wipe away the tear that was daring to fall from the corner of my eye and change the subject, "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Well, we think that you're little girl wasn't a stillborn. We believe that she was born sleeping… It rarely happens, but that's the most logical explanation for all of this, considering the circumstances of Dr. Greene's past… When a child is born sleeping, there is no noise and the baby can be, well… mistaken for stillborn. Of course, there are test that the doctors have to do, to make that call. Dr. Greene is the doctor with the most number of stillbirths, which is why he was fired. Something didn't add up... It turns out that years ago, Dr. Greene had illegally handed another woman's baby, that was recorded as stillborn, to a less fortunate couple, a couple that didn't have any kids.…"

* * *

The nurse handed a piece of paper over to me, "Here is your baby's fetal death certificate. It shows here that the baby's weight is 7lbs 4oz, but it also has another weight on the birth certificate in your name, which is 6lbs 2 oz. You can see that Dr. Greene signed off on both documents" she hands another piece of paper to me, "But we also have on file the weight for the Jenkins' baby, which was 6lbs and 2oz."

"I don't get it," Lux interjects.

"Well…Basically… another woman, Jacqueline Jenkins had a baby on that same day. At first she was recorded as 7lbs and 4oz, but when they rechecked the weight on the very same day, the baby was 6lbs and 2oz. Which alone doesn't make any sense and Dr. Greene should have caught it immediately… Which leads us to believe that Dr. Greene had done the same thing with you that he had done with the baby ten years ago."

"So, what are you saying? …That my baby wasn't a stillborn and that this… this…Dr. Greene intentionally handed my daughter to another couple?" I ask angrily.

"Mrs. Foster, we aren't a hundred percent sure if that's what happened, but that's what we believe happened…Dr. Greene was a very smart man, but he admitted to doing this before and even went to prison because of it. Because he didn't believe what he did was wrong."

"Is he still in jail?" Lux asks, and I can't help but wonder how she was being so nonchalant about all of this. She was behaving as if nothing the woman had said affected her at all.

"No. He was very old and he died shortly after he was sentenced." The nurse looks back over at me, but I'm still trying to wrap my mind around everything that was just said to respond to her.

_How could I have missed this?_

"Ma'am, the only way we can be sure about all of this is if we do a Maternity DNA test. It's the best way to find out if this is actually what happened. The hospital will pay for it, since we do believe that we are at fault for all of this."

_A DNA test? Is this really happening?_

"Okay then. That's great. Let's do the test," Lux stares at me blankly, and then back at the nurse. "How long will it take? Like a couple of minutes or something?"

"Um, no. This isn't like a pregnancy test. A DNA test takes much longer," Nurse Silver answers.

"How much longer?" Lux asks nervously.

"We should get the results within three days."

"Three days?! No! But my hearing is the day after tomorrow. There's got to be some way we can put a rush on this or something."

"I'm sorry but we really can't. We have to send it to the lab and it's not an easy process."

"Well I can't wait three days," Lux says matter-of-factly and crosses her arms and looks over to me.

I stare at her for a moment, as I try to take in her facial features. She squints her eyes at me as if I have gone mad. I glance back at the nurse, "How soon can we get this DNA test started?"

"Right away," Nurse Silver confirms.

* * *

**A/N: Okay, so I got some of the ideas for this fic from myself. I was actually born sleeping, lol. (So it DOES happen.) My mom said the doctor had to pinch me to make sure that I was okay since I obviously wasn't crying. Of course the pinch woke me up and I started crying like crazy and that was when my mom relaxed. I wasn't mistaken for stillborn or switched at birth or anything, but it's just a weirdly true story.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

* * *

**Lux's POV**

"This is a swab, Lux. I'm going to use it to scrape the cells off of your cheek," Nurse Silver explains.

_Uh, ew!_

She mistakes the disgusted look on my face for fear. "It won't hurt a bit, okay? Please open your mouth," Nurse Silver instructs as she tries to place the cotton swab on my right cheek.

I fight the urge to say "That's what he said" because I know that this isn't a joking matter. _And I highly doubt these two would laugh anyway…_

"What's the point of this?" I ask while she still has the swab scraping against my cheek. I wonder if either woman even understood my question since it came out weird. She removes the swab from inside of my mouth and looks at me strangely. I ignore her glare and glance back at Stefanie. "If it's going to take this long, it's pointless. My hearing is on Thursday. The results won't come in until Friday," I inform her.

I sit there waiting for her response, but she just stares at me blankly as the woman places the other swab into my mouth. "What are you doing now?" I question, knowing fully well that my tone is full of attitude.

_I'm not angry at her, I'm angry at Stefanie for not just signing the paper back at her house. This could have all been avoided in my eyes._

"We like to take two samples just in case," the nurse explains.

And after about ten seconds, she places both swabs into an envelope and walks over to Stefanie to repeat the same process on her.

I am not going to let _this hospital_ or _this blonde cop_ screw this up for me. _Screw that. I'll take jail time over another crappy foster-home any day._

With that thought and with a glance of the nurse's back facing me, and Stefanie being otherwise distracted, I slowly stand up and grab my file from her desk. Once I have it in my hands, I quickly but quietly sit back down, spinning around so that I could shove the file into my bag.

I turn again as fast as possible and am relieved that neither of them saw me and the nurse is still taking her samples. _Thank God_.

"So, are we done here?" I ask abruptly.

The nurse closes both of the envelopes and nods, "Yes, you're done."

"Great," I answer as I grab my bag and begin to walk out.

Stefanie stands up too. "Thanks, Nurse…"

"Silver."

"Right… Well, thank you," she says as if she actually means it. I roll my eyes in annoyance.

_This test wasn't my idea. _

_I'm in a bad mood as it is. _

_Today wasn't going anything like it should have_.

"Can I get both of your numbers so that I can reach you when I get the results?"

"Absolutely," Stefanie replies as she detaches her notepad and pen from her belt and writes down her number. When she hands the pad and pen over to me, I consider giving them a number she could reach me at, but I jot down a random one instead and hand the notepad back over to the cop.

_Whatever. Who needs to hear the truth anyway? Some things are just better off not knowing._

* * *

We both walk out of her office, and I make sure to get out of the building as fast as I can. The last thing I need right now is for Nurse Silver to realize I stole my file and come after me.

As soon as I'm out of the building, I take off. I have no idea where I'm going but I need to find a bus stop, quick.

"Hey! Lux, wait up!" I turn my head to find Stefanie attempting to catch up to me.

I pick up my pace, keeping my eyes focused straight ahead. _I think I see a bus sign half a block away_, I realize. But before I know it, Stefanie is right beside me, walking just as fast. "Where are you going? Don't you need a ride back to…"

"I got it, thanks," I inform her. _I don't even know why I am mad anymore, but that didn't change the fact that I was angry and wanted to be left alone._

"Don't be ridiculous. I brought you all the way over here, the least I can do is give you a ride back," she offers.

_Lady, just give up already,_ I want to tell her.

"I thought you had to get back to work?" I ask her when I recalled the conversation she had with the secretary. I keep walking, fixing the strap on my bag so that it wouldn't fall off of my shoulder. _I don't need it falling and letting all of the evidence come pouring out, especially in front of a cop_ and regardless of who she is.

"I only said that so the nurse would hurry. I can give you a ride, if you'd like…"

_Don't accept any favors._

"I kind of rather take the bus, if you don't mind," I reply as I arrive at the bus stop and begin waiting for the next one to come around.

"I hear ya… But don't you think we should talk before…"

"Are you going to sign the form?" I blurt out.

She coughs nervously, "Um no, I—"

"Then we have nothing to talk about," I respond flatly, as I keep an eye out for a bus and I finally see one driving up the street.

"Do you even know where you are?" she questions me when the bus finally pulls up in front of us.

"No offense, but I haven't had a mom in thirteen years. I don't need one now," I answer before I make my way up the steps of the bus and feel the doors close right behind me.

_If they aren't going to sign the forms, I'll do it myself. I already have both of their signatures in my file. If forging them is the only way out of this, then that is exactly what I am going to do._

* * *

**Stef's POV**

I walk in through the front door and I already know I'm in for it. In my defense my phone did die but Lena wouldn't really care about that. I know how worried she gets when I don't answer ever since the shooting.

"Stef! Where the hell have you been? I've been calling and texting you for hours!" Lena stood in front of me with a stern look and her arms crossed. It has been almost 7 hours since I left the house, she has every right to be angry with me.

_How am I supposed to tell her this and sound right?_

After picking up my car from the station, I spent hours driving around trying to wrap my mind around all of this, but I couldn't. _How can I tell her when I don't understand it completely myself? _

Regardless, I have to tell her. I lean my arms against the kitchen counter. I close my eyes and lower my head, attempting to gather my thoughts before I speak.

"What's wrong?" she asks. I can see the worry in her eyes as she searches my face for answers when I finally look up at her. All I want to do is throw myself in her arms, but I know that it would just upset her even more to see me upset.

And _I_ was the one in charge of keeping everyone and everything together in this house. I know she wouldn't see it that way but I was. And I couldn't help but feel that I was falling apart completely.

"I'm sorry," I tell her.

"Sorry for what?" she asks.

_And I wish I knew the answer._

"For worrying you. I should've called you back or at least answered my phone… I just needed time to think."

Lena sighs deeply, "It's okay... I'm okay. It's fine, babe. I just overreacted because I was so worried." She starts approaching me but I shake my head.

"No, it's not fine," I answer in a voice louder than I intended to. She seems taken aback by it.

"Honey, what's wrong?" she questions and she's finally in front of me.

I stare at her for a long time. And I want so desperately to open my mouth but I don't.

"Stef?"

And before I know it, I've got my arms wrapped around her and I'm sobbing into her shirt. I try with everything in my power to stop, but I can't get that little girl's face out of my mind.

_I know this isn't normal._

_I shouldn't be acting this way._

_But I feel like my entire life has been altered in just a matter of seconds and the thought scares me._

Lena tightens her embrace in response. She knows that I need to be held right now even though I hate to do this to her.

"Mom? Are you okay?" I hear Mariana's voice from behind me.

I immediately release myself from Lena's grasp and try to put on a strong face, wiping away my tears in the process. _But I can't help but wonder if she heard my sobs. She must've if she asking how I am. Another person in my own family to see me breakdown was the last thing I needed right now._

"Yep. I'm fine, Sweets." I try to smile at her.

"Are you sure? You don't look fine..."

"Mom's fine." Lena answers for me. "Bad day at work. We just need a second."

"Okay..." Mariana turns to leave the kitchen, unconvinced.

Once she's out of sight, I can't help but feel guilty for allowing her to see me like that.

"Stef, what happened?" Lena asks.

I look at my wife and I can see the concern written all over her face. She still doesn't know and I can tell that she's scared.

I take a few seconds to respond. I'm glad that she gives me the time without rushing me. "Lena… that girl was my daughter," I finally tell her sadly. I tried to sound firm but my emotions disagreed.

She stares at me with a confused look. I know she thinks that I'm crazy, and I don't blame her.

I know the truth.

"I can feel it, Lena…"

"Babe… What are you talking about?" she shakes her head slightly.

I take another deep breath to contain myself. "The baby, the baby I had after Brandon. The one that…"

With Lena's eyes focused on me, I can still see the panic in them as she speaks. "I don't get it, Stef. I thought you…"

"I know. I thought so too, but… my name is on her birth certificate, and so is Mike's. The staff at the hospital thinks there was a mix-up and my doctor gave her to another couple on purpose. She wasn't… She was alive. That little girl was my daughter... I can feel it, Lena. I can't explain it, but I just know that she's my baby."

Lena grabs hold of my arm quickly and pulls me closer toward her body when my voice starts to give out again. I hug her back. "…I don't know what to do, Lena. How am I supposed to fix this?"

"We'll figure all of this out together, okay? You're not alone" she comforts me as she tightens her grip.

"She hates me… She doesn't want anything to do with me." I inform her as I loosen myself from her embrace so that I can look into her eyes.

"She doesn't hate you," Lena answers as she places her hand onto my cheek and strokes it with her thumb.

I nod even though I don't believe her and change the subject. "Well she's trying to get emancipated. That's why she came… to get my signature…"

"Emancipated?" she repeats, shock and confusion in her tone.

"Yeah. Can you believe it?"

"She must be only…what? Fifteen?"

"Thirteen." I correct. "She'll be fourteen in two days… God! And she's been in foster care all of this time..." I shake my head as I think of all the possibilities.

"What happened to the couple who took her home?" Lena asks in a baffled voice.

"I don't know, Lena, but I intend to find out." I look over at my wife, and I can't help but wonder how lucky I am to have such an understanding woman. "Are you're sure about this?" I ask her again, as if she'd change her mind.

"As sure as I'll ever be."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

* * *

**Stef's POV**

The feeling of my wife's fingers running through my hair awakens me. I open my eyes and find her studying my face. I give her a soft closed-mouthed smile to assure her that I was okay.

"Morning," she says. "Did you get enough sleep?"

I can hear the concern in her voice. I know that she is only asking because I look like absolute crap, considering the amount of rest I must've gotten. Come to think of it, I don't know if I slept at all. But I still nod. She doesn't believe me. She's too smart.

"Are you sure you want to go to work today with everything that's going on? You can still stay home, ya know. I'll even stay with you if you want," she offers as she places her hand on my arm.

She must be _really_ worried if she's willing to take the day off for me.

"That's not necessary, babe… And plus, I think it'll be good for me to get back to work." I start to sit up and remove the comforter off of my body. "Besides, maybe it'll help take my mind off of things."

"Yeah, you're right. I was just—"

"I know, love." I lean back over the bed and give her a peck on the lips. "Thanks anyway. I appreciate it. I'm fine though. Really."

I get up and walk over to the bathroom to brush my teeth and throw cold water on my face. Once I'm done, I glance back at the mirror, trying to study every inch of it. My mind flashes to Lux's…

My wife walks in and I stand back up all the way, hoping she didn't see me dozing off. But if she did, she didn't act like it. She routinely grabs her toothbrush and puts paste on it. "Are you going to tell Mike about this? He deserves to know."

I turn on the shower and look back over her "I've been thinking about it, a lot…"

"And?"

"And I don't think I should tell him just yet… I mean, you know how Mike is," I tilt my head. "… I don't think he's going to believe me if I just tell him that I have a hunch. I mean… I've seen her. I know that she's my daughter now…"

"But?" I can tell she doesn't approve of what I'm thinking.

"But I didn't know when I first saw her, Lena. What kind of mother doesn't recognize her own daughter?"

The second I admit to that, I wish I hadn't. Those thoughts were best to be kept in my head. I know how upset Lena gets when I start to contradict or blame myself.

"Stef, do not beat yourself up. _None _of this was your fault… How could you have known that your doctor would do something like this?"

"It _is_ my fault, Lena. If I had just held her, none of this would've happened. She would've woken up and…" I take a deep breath before I continue.

I have gone over all of this in my head a thousand times between last night and this morning but I haven't exactly resolved anything.

"What if Mike blames me?"

"Don't do this to yourself, Stef. If you are going to blame yourself, then Mike should be just as at fault as you are. And as much as I hate to admit it, Mike should be involved in this."

"Absolutely he should," I answer more sternly. "But I don't want to tell him this without _one hundred percent_ certainty. I don't want to get his hopes up and then… Well, you know," I shrug my shoulders.

"Where is this coming from, Stef? You were the one that said that you knew she was your daughter."

I stare back at the mirror. I don't want to look into her eyes.

"Stef?" she repeats.

"I have to get ready, love. I can't be late for work."

Thankfully, Lena leaves it at that and walks out of the bathroom, leaving me to shower. _I feel horrible for closing myself off from her and I know she doesn't deserve it… but I don't want to discuss it anymore_.

I _can't_ discuss it anymore.

The truth is that I have a gut feeling Lux is my child. _I want her to be my daughter But what if… What if I was wrong? I cannot get my hopes up only to find out that she's not my baby._ _I had to prepare myself for anything._ And I couldn't let Mike go through all of this, too. _Not knowing is killing me. If I can spare him the hurt of finding out that she really wasn't our daughter, then I am going to._

* * *

**Lux's POV**

I stop in front of my foster home and I dread the thought of going in. I told my foster mother that I was getting the hell out of there. Her words keep repeating in my head… "Don't make promises you can't keep!"

Her voice gave me that much more ammunition to go find my birth parents and get them to sign the permanent release of rights form. She reminded me exactly of why I was doing this all in the first place.

_Once they sign it, I won't have to depend on any irresponsible adult for anything ever again._

I open the door and glance around the house. I try to prepare myself for her laughing and telling me, "I told you so."

As I enter, I notice the house is empty, completely free from her voice. I walk farther into the living room and see my bags packed up and piled in the middle of it. I glance at the teddy bear lying on top of my suitcase. It was a present from an old foster mother. She gave it to me on one of the worst days of my life.

Valerie. The name of the woman, who once made me feel so loved and cared for. Now the letters were etched into my brain and I will never forget the name, no matter how hard I tried to forget.

_FLASHBACK_

_I wake up in the hospital and see Valerie sitting on the chair closest to me._

_How did I get here? _

_"Hey," Valerie smiles the second she sees me waking up. I feel the pain in my chest and I remember what happened. I remember what Trey did._

_"I'm glad to see you're finally coming to. I was so worried about you, Lux… I got you a present." Valerie offers me a smile and hands a purple box over to me. "I thought I should get you something after that fall. I saw this at the gift shop downstairs and I knew that you just had to have it."_

_"What is it?" I ask._

_"Open it and see."_

_I glance down at the box, slowly open it, and take out the beige colored teddy bear and smile. "Thanks, Mom. I love it."_

_"I knew you would. I thought you needed a new one to add to your collection."_

_"What happened?" I ask. "What did the doctors tell you?" I already knew what happened but I didn't know what she knew._

_"They said that you fell down the stairs and had a stroke. You should be more careful, Lux." She places her hand on my cheek, "You had me so worried."_

_I nod and try to find the courage to tell her._

_She's my mom and she promised to be my mom forever._

_She would understand._

_"Mom… What did Trey tell you?_"

_She sighs and sits down on the hospital bed beside me. The smile quickly disappears from her face, "He told me what happened. I've got to be honest with you, Lux. I'm not really happy about it. I think you owe him an apology."_

_"An apology?" _

_"You shouldn't have hit him, Lux. He's been nothing but kind to you since you got here."_

_"He told you I hit him?"_

_"He told me the truth, Lux." She stares at me with this confused look on her face. "He told me that he asked you nicely to take out the trash and you threw a lamp at his head. When you went to storm out of the house, you lost your footing and fell down the stairs. He could've been badly hurt with that lamp, Lux. He's getting stitches right now. And when he comes to see you, I need to apologize to him."_

_"That's not what happened! …Mom," I feel the tears falling down my cheeks now. I want nothing more than for Valerie to believe me. "Trey snuck into my room when I was sleeping and he was the one who hit me. He punched me in the chest! That's why I fell down the stairs. Mom, you have to believe me. Please!" I beg. "And he r—"_

_She stares at me for a long time before she responds, "Lux, why are you lying? Trey would never do something like that. He loves you like a daughter."_

_"I'm not lying. He—"_

_"I don't want to hear it!" Valerie snaps as she covers up her ears and stands up. "Oh my God! How can you lie to me like this after everything we have done for you? We wanted to adopt you, Lux. Trey and I filled out all the paperwork and everything, and you go and accuse him of something like this? How dare you do that to him!" she yells as she walks over to her chair and snatches her purse. "Why did you have to be like this? I thought you were different, Lux. I thought you were better. But I guess I was wrong." _

_She doesn't even bother turning_ _around before she opens the door and storms out._

_I can feel the tears burning in my eyes as I glance back down at the teddy bear, which is looking at me with it's own sad eyes._

_FLASHBACK OVER_

Without even thinking I grab the teddy bear and clutch it to my chest. I can't help but wonder if I'm crying out the same tears that I had cried that day. I should hate this bear, but I can't. It isn't a constant memory of what happened that day. I'm not sure what it is. It always makes me feel loved even though others would view it as a stupid stuffed animal.

* * *

By the time I get to Bug's apartment, it's almost 10 pm. The buses stop picking people up at 9 over here, so I had to walk most of the way with my suitcase. I struggle to get the suitcase up three flights of stairs, but I'm relieved when I make it.

Bug opens the door quickly once I start knocking. He takes one look at my face and immediately wraps me in his arms. "Lux, what happened?"

"What didn't happen?" I try to joke but even I can't find much humor in my words.

"Did you find your birth parents? Did they sign the paper?" He lets go of me so that he can see my face.

"Yes, but my birth mom wouldn't sign it."

"What? Why not?" he asks angrily.

"It doesn't even matter anymore," I shrug my shoulders. "…I stole my birth certificate from the hospital and I'm going to sign it myself. I need to get the hell out of this stupid screwed up system once and for all."

"What happened?" he asks.

"Christy packed my bags and I had to leave."

"I'm sorry, Lux." He lifted my chin and continued, "You know you still have me, right?"

"And us!" I hear Tasha's voice. I watch as Tasha and Gavin step out of the bedroom. It's only a one-bedroom apartment, but the four of us are willing to make it work.

"Who needs adults anyway? They're so overrated."

"She's right. Our plan is working. This is a good thing," Bug declares, as he kisses my forehead.

"Yeah. By Thursday, all of this crap won't even matter. We're finally going to make this happen, Lux. Screw Christy and her raggedy ass house!" Tasha concludes, which causes me to laugh. She pulls me in for a hug too and I feel so loved in this moment.

I'm reminded that this is my family, and I wouldn't have it any other way.


	7. Chapter 7

**Thank you to all you who reviewed and who are reading. I'm so happy that most of you guys are enjoying this fic as much as I enjoy writing it :)**

**To Mandy:** I don't think I'll be using spoilers, but if I do I will give you a warning :)

* * *

_Thursday_

**Stef's POV**

It's been two days since I've seen Lux and since we've taken the paternity test at the hospital. My kids have been noticing that Lena and I are acting stranger than usual. Due to Mariana's paranoia, the entire house knows that I came home crying on Tuesday. Of course I couldn't tell them the truth just yet. So, I gave them vague answers and told them that I preferred not to talk about it. They haven't stopped giving me sympathetic looks just yet, and I hate they that have to feel that way toward me. It's like they've been walking on eggshells for the past couple of days, so that they wouldn't do anything else to upset me.

There haven't been any yelling-matches in the hallway, Mariana hasn't even been complaining about everything as she always does, and Jude and Jesus haven't been getting into it either. As much as I appreciate their willingness to get a long and keep the peace, I can't help but hate that they're only doing it because of me.

I am their mom.

I should be the one consoling them, not the other way around. Lena tries to brush off my observations by saying that I'm being too paranoid and that they're not looking at me any differently than they were before that day.

But then again, neither is she.

She hasn't seemed to notice that either.

I know that all of my children are theorizing behind my back, but I couldn't blame them for that either.

I was the one who was lying.

* * *

I'm on my lunch break when I get a call from an unknown number. I glance at my cellphone screen and answer it immediately, just in case it was Lux.

It wasn't.

_I didn't even have time to give her my number,_ I remember.

"Good Afternoon. Is this Stefanie Foster?" a woman's voice asks.

"Yes, this is she."

"Hi Stefanie. It's Nurse Silver from St. Rose's Hospital."

"Why hello," I answer. "Is there something wrong? I thought that the results for the test weren't coming in until tomorrow?" I ask in confusion. But I wouldn't complain if she gave them to me now.

"You're absolutely right, ma'am. I won't know the results until tomorrow afternoon, the least. It's just…"

"What?" I ask worriedly. The last thing I need is more bad news.

"We've… well, Lux's file isn't here anymore."

"I don't understand…"

"The paper copy of Lux's file went missing. Normally, we wouldn't bother calling you because we have digital copies of everything. But considering the circumstances, we thought we'd let you know. And we wanted to ask if you accidentally took it home with you."

"You think I stole the file?" I ask in an annoyed voice.

_What purpose would that serve?_

"No, not at all. It's just… the last time I remember seeing it was when you two were in my office. I just don't want those documents to end up somewhere else, you know. This is just a precaution, not an accusation, ma'am. I'm sorry if I made you feel that way."

"It's fine. But, no I have not seen it."

"Okay, thank you, Mrs. Foster. Have a good day."

"Uhuh, you too," I answer as I hang up the phone immediately.

It was all making sense to me now,

Lux's impatience for the signatures,

Her rush to leave the hospital,

Not even fighting me to sign the papers once we left,

And clutching onto her bag like I was going to take it away.

I knew in my gut that Lux stole the file and I knew exactly why.

Within seconds I dial Lux's phone number, which I managed to memorize after she handed me back the notepad. I had a feeling that I was going to need it.

It doesn't take long for the machine to answer, "The number you have called is not in service. If you would like to make a call, please hang up and try again."

I immediately make a U-turn and start driving back to the station, where I had her social worker fax me her file. There had to be an address somewhere in there.

* * *

When I stop in front of the house that Lux is supposed to be staying in, I try to take in the image without making any preconceived judgments. But once I get closer, I noticed that even from the outside it looked disgusting, considering that the white paint had been deteriorating and the roots from the ground were growing against the house itself. I walk up the porch steps and notice an ashtray that's completely overfilled with Newport cigarettes. I look around the porch and see a few empty beer bottles lying around.

_This is where my daughter is living._

Instinctively, I knock on the door hard, in hopes that she was actually here. As soon as I'm done knocking I hear the radio go on and the volume goes up completely to some rock song.

_Did someone just do that on purpose?_ I wonder.

Angrily, I knock again, even harder thank before, and wait a few seconds for the radio to go down, but it doesn't. I walk over to the window and begin knocking hard against the glass once I realize that the blinds are closed.

The music shuts off.

"Who the hell is that?" a woman yells. "Joe, can you go see who's knocking on the fucking window, before I go out there and beat their ass! And turn that damn music down!"

The door swings open, right as I make my way back to it. A teenage boy with no shirt on greets me and is looking at me strangely. "Mom! There's a cop out here!" he yells as he stares at me with an annoyed look. "What do you want?"

"I'm Stefanie Foster. And I'm looking for Lux. Is she here?"

"Uh, no," he answers harshly.

"Okay, do you know where she is?"

"I don't know where that bitch went. For all I know, she could be in Hawaii right now."

Before I can respond to that I see a woman, around my age with a baby pink bathrobe on step in front of him. "Can I help you?" she asks angrily, as if there was a ton of things she could be doing right now, besides smoking a cigarette and laying around in the middle of the day.

"Yes, actually. I'm Stefanie Foster, and I'm looking for Lux. Is she here?" I ask as I glance around and see nothing but a few toys lying around in that polluted house.

"She's out," the woman replies.

"Do you know where she went?"

"No."

"What do you mean you don't know? Aren't you her foster-mother? She's staying here, isn't she?"

"Yes, but I don't know where she went. She'll be back later."

"What time later?"

"I don't know. Just late," she snaps. "Actually, I don't think she's coming back at all," the woman changes her mind all of a sudden.

"What does that mean?"

She rolls her eyes before she answers, "I haven't seen her since yesterday morning. For all I know, she's on her own already."

"So, wait a minute. You're telling me that you haven't seen her in over 24 hours and you haven't done anything?"

"She just left. What did you want me to do? Stop her?"

"Yes. Or you should've called CPS to let them know that she ran away."

"Look, lady. I don't have time for this crap. I have other kids in here I have to pay attention to, okay. Go tell it to someone who gives a damn!" she yells as she tries to slam the door in my face, but I quickly stick me foot in between the crack, stopping her from doing so.

I quickly take out my card from my shirt pocket and hand it over to her, "If she does come back, I want you to call this number."

"Yeah," she answers. After I glare at her for a few more seconds, I finally remove my foot from the door and walk away.

* * *

As I'm walking back to the car, I quickly dial Mike's number. I know that this is not how I wanted to tell him, but I knew it had to be done before we showed up at the courthouse.

"Stef? I'm working. What's wrong?" he asks worriedly. "Is B okay?"

"Mike, we need to talk now. I'm on my way to the station to pick you up. It's important."

"What's this about?"

"Just meet me outside in ten," I answer before I hang up. There was no way that I was telling him this over the phone.

As soon as I pull up to the station, I see Mike sitting on the steps with a coffee in his hand. He walks up to the car door and opens it, "What's wrong? Is it B?"

"No, Mike. Just get in," I answer.

I know that I have to tell him soon, because time is of the essence right now.

He gets in the car, and I drive off on my way to the courthouse. I already know which one it is, because I carefully read the release form that Lux was trying to coerce me to sign.

"You mind telling me where we're going?" he asks nervously. I know that I must look like a crazy person to him right now, but I just press on the gas a little harder, as if the words would come out of my mouth faster by doing so.

"We're going to the courthouse."

"The courthouse? For what?"

I keep my eyes focused on the road. It's easier that way and I have an excuse to avoid his gaze. "Because our daughter is trying to get emancipated, because she forged our signatures."

"Excuse me?" he asks.

I sigh at the way my mind chose to mention her, but I've already done it, "Yes, we have a daughter, Mike. That baby that we had fourteen years ago wasn't a stillborn She was alive, Mike. The motherfucker who told us, that she was dead, handed her off to another couple for God knows what reason. And now we have a fourteen year old, who's been living in foster-care all this time. She's trying to get emancipated right now. And it's imperative that we get to the court before..." I pause and look over at the baffled look on my ex-husband's face. I knew that I shouldn't have confronted him with this information the way that I just did. But with all of the pressure and adrenaline that was flowing through my body at the moment, there was no other way I could say it.

"Is this a joke, Stef?" he asks angrily.

"No, Mike! This is not a joke! Why the hell would I joke about something like this?" I raise my voice to him. "Do you think this is easy for me to tell you, Mike?"

"But I saw it, Stef. It wasn't moving," he answers matter-of-factly.

I hated that he always referred to her as an "it". I knew it was only a way he could deal with the memories, as if referring to her as an "it" would somehow make it hurt less. But I didn't feel the same way about that, and he knew it.

"I'm sorry, Stef. I didn't mean t—"

"It's fine." I assure him. "…She was sleeping, Mike. That's why she wasn't moving."

"Sleeping?" he asked in disbelief.

"Yes, sleeping. Doctor Greene admitted to doing this before with another baby too. He gave her to another couple and somehow she ended up in the foster-care system."

He doesn't answer for a minute, and I try to let him process the information. Honestly, I'm afraid of his reaction, so I don't push for it either. "Are you okay, Mike?"

"…What are we going to do?" he asks effortlessly.


	8. Chapter 8

**Lux's POV**

I ditched school today, so that I could get to the courthouse on time and give my caseworker all of my paperwork. _I wonder if this would negatively impact my chances of getting emancipated? Hopefully not. I mean, they were the ones who picked the court date. I just showed up like I was supposed to._

And I hoped that today would be worth it. Tasha thought that she'd have a better shot at getting emancipated if I did it first, which is exactly why her court date was scheduled for next week. I just hope that her plan works, because she could get in a lot of trouble for running away from foster-care if they find out.

As soon as I get off of the bus in front of the courthouse, I glance down at my watch. It's almost 1:30. Thankfully, I made it on time, with over half hour to spare.

I make it all the way up the steps and to the entrance doors, letting out a huge breath of nervousness. _I really hope this turns out okay._

As soon as I open them, I see Stefanie and some man exiting to my dismay.

_What the hell is she doing here?_ I wonder.

I'm so surprised that I can't even speak, and she's just standing in front of me in her cop uniform with her arms crossed.

"Stefanie? …Wh-what are you doing here?" I ask her nervously, as I glance over to the other officer next to her, who's just creepily staring at me.

Rather than answer my question, she grabs me by my arm again like she had that day at her house and pulls me over to the side, so that we weren't blocking anyone from entering or exiting the building. "I can ask you the same thing," she says as she lets go of my arm and waits for an explanation.

_I don't need to give her one though. _

For all I know, she's not even my mother. So I roll my eyes and turn around to walk back inside but the other officer blocks my path. I try to move around him, but he just moves again so that I can't go anywhere. "What's your problem?" I ask him as I turn around and look at Stefanie.

She starts to walk toward me, "Did you steal your file from the hospital?"

"No," I answer harshly.

"Oh really?" she asks as she lifts her arms up to cross them again.

"Uhuh," I answer. I still didn't trust this woman; regardless of what the hospital says might've happened.

_She's a cop._

_I wasn't stupid enough to admit to stealing something in front of a cop._

_Is it even stealing, if it was my own file?_ I wonder.

"Then, what are you doing here?" she asks again.

I don't have a good enough answer for her, so I just remain silent and stare away from her face, praying that she would just go away.

"Hand me your bag," she orders as she offers her hand out for it.

_What the hell is she doing?_

I adjust the strap onto my shoulder and tighten my grip around it, "Why?"

She gives me short sarcastic laugh, "Because I asked you to. Come on… hand it over."

"Where's your warrant?" I ask as I glare at her, letting her know that I had no inclination to hand it over. _There had to be some law that made whatever she was doing illegal. _

"Oh, really?" she says as if that were the stupidest thing I could've done.

* * *

**Mike's POV**

After watching the look that Stef was giving our daughter, I knew that I had to diffuse the situation, and I had to do it immediately, "We can get a warrant… But that would just mean that our boss would have to get involved."

Lux looks at me as if she could care less, and Stef sees exactly where I'm going with this, so she steps in, "He's absolutely right. And if we get the warrant, and we find something in your bag, something such as proof that you committed a felony, then that could become really serious…Stealing medical records is a felony, right Mike?"

"Absolutely."

"What?" Lux asks. "It's my own file!"

"Still a felony," I answer as I straighten my belt.

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way," Stef continues. "Your choice." She says as stares at Lux, and it's obvious that the girl is intimidated by the silence that comes afterwards. "Hand it over. Last chance."

Lux angrily takes the strap of her bag off of her shoulder and hands it over to Stef, "This is so stupid," she mutters.

"We'll see about that," Stef answers as she grabs the bag from Lux and opens it. The first thing she does is take out a couple of manila folders. She opens one and glances through it, "This is the file you stole from the hospital, correct?" she asks Lux in a no nonsense tone, but Lux purses her lips angrily and stares away from her. Stef glances back down at the other folder and fingers through it, quickly pulling out a form, and glaring at it. I can tell that she's angry by her clenched lips and the fact that she's shaking her head slightly, "…I can see that you forged our signatures."

"Your signatures?" she asks in a confused tone. She turns to glance at me and I know that she just realized I'm her father. I take this time to really examine her face for the first time. She has Stef's blonde hair and Brandon's green eyes, and I have no doubt that she's our kid. She turns back to Stef, "Technically, they aren't your signatures. They're Dr. Greene's." She tries to snatch the paper back from Stef but Stef quickly draws it back and stares at the teen sternly, letting her know with her eyes that what she did wasn't really smart. "Please, give it back," Lux says carefully as she stares at her watch once again. "I can't be late to this hearing…Please," she begs.

**Stef's POV**

I don't know how to respond to her, so I just stare at her blankly.

I can't let her do this, and I know that Mike won't either, but he's not saying anything to help me out. I know that Lux and I have already started this relationship on the wrong foot, but I knew in my heart of hearts that letting her go through with this was the wrong decision. I had to be strong about this, regardless of the fact that I knew that she'd probably hate me for it, "Look, Lux…I'm sorry but I can't let you go through with this."

"Why not?" she interrupts. "Who knows? Come tomorrow, you'll probably find out that I'm not even your daughter…Then what? Huh? You both get to go back to your life, with your families and I'm stuck in some other crappy house, locked in a room with 6 other kids? Then, what? Huh? All of this would've been for nothing… So, if you can please give me my papers back, I'd appreciate it." She stares at me and I can tell that she's angry and hurt by the glassy look in her eyes, but she her body still remains stiff.

"Lux…" I try to find my voice and try to think about the right thing to say at the moment, but I know that there aren't any right words. "I can't let you do this, because I know that you are our daughter." I look over at Mike, so that he could help me out in this, but he doesn't for whatever reason, so I continue, "I know that you don't want to hear it, but this is a mistake. You're fourteen years old." Lux rolls her eyes at me again, and I'm beginning to see that she has more of an attitude than Mariana does most of the time. But I don't let it get to me, because I know that's what she wants. She wants me to give up and leave her alone, but after finding out the truth, I know that it's the last thing I'm willing to do. "My point is, that I'm not giving you back these papers, because neither Mike nor I feel comfortable about letting you go through with this. Now, you can either choose to hate us or accept it, but either way, you're not getting emancipated. Not today or any other day…" I wait for her response, but she seems as if she's blocked out every word I said, and I can't help but get angry at her persistence to act as if we aren't even here.

I know that I have to get her attention, and I have to do it fast, "And before you decide to fight us on this, I will have you know that forgery and the burglary of medical files are serious crimes, that can result in serious punishments, including jail time." I stare at Lux with the most serious look that I could pull off, and I would assume that my uniform would help in intimate the teen.

I knew that scaring her into accepting all of this wasn't the right way to go about it, but I was desperate, and I had a feeling that "talking about it" wasn't going to help.

By the look on her face, I can tell that she finally heard me, "So, wait a minute. Are you blackmailing me?" she asks with a hint of annoyance in her voice.

Just as I am about to answer, Mike finally speaks, "What your mother and I are trying to say is that we have to look out for your best interests and getting emancipated right now, isn't in them."

She turns around and glares at Mike, "And what do either of you know about my best interest huh?... You've known me for what? 5 minutes? And you?" She turns around again to stare at me, "You've known me for a few hours? And all of a sudden you two think you know what's best for me? You've got to be kidding me, right? You know what… Don't even answer that. I rather go back to foster-care," she says as she starts to walk away from us.

I panic and yell after her, "That's not up to you… Neither of us have signed away our rights. So technically, legally, you're still under our care."

Lux stops walking down the steps, but doesn't turn around.

Mike continues for me, "So either, you come home with me, or you go with your mother, but wherever you think you're going, you're not... So make your decision."

She whips around to stare at us. "You can't do this," she argues.

"Yes, we can," I answer just as sternly…

* * *

**Okay, so I did something a little different than the show did, if you could tell.**

**I wanted to have Stef and Mike barge into the hearing and have the judge order Lux back into their custody, kind of like the show…But that would've meant that the judge would've found out that Lux forged the papers, which could've caused for more problems than necessary. Also, some of you wanted me to do something a little different than what happened in Life Unexpected, so I tried to do just that. **

**Predictions: Who do you think Lux should go home with (Stef or Mike) and Why?**

**I'd love to know your opinions :) And thank you all for favorite-ing, following and reviewing :DDDD Definitely makes my day.**


	9. Chapter 9

_**Kay, so I got a good question by one of my reviewers. And I know that if one of you ask, then at least ten of you had the same question on your minds. (I know I would)**_

**Question: How is Lux trying to get emancipated if she's 14 in this fic? **

**Answer: California is the only state in the U.S. that has 14 as the minimum age to become an emancipated minor. In Life Unexpected, Lux was 16 years old and in Oregon, so I had to change the age because I didn't want to make her and Brandon twins. (That would've been too much in my opinion) so I changed her age to fit with the legal emancipation age in California…**

* * *

_**Stef's POV**_

_I panic and yell after her, "That's not up to you… Neither of us have signed away our rights. So technically, legally, you're still under our care."_

_Lux stops walking down the steps, but doesn't turn around._

_Mike continues for me, "So either, you come home with me, or you go with your mother, but wherever you think you're going, you're not... So make your decision."_

_She whips around to stare at us. "You can't do this," she argues._

"_Yes, we can," I answer just as sternly._

* * *

**Lux's POV**

_Are these people kidding me? The must be high if they think that I'm going with either one of them._

"This isn't fair." I glare at Stefanie, "You promised to sign the paper if you found out that I was your daughter. That was the only reason I chose to go with you to the stupid hospital in the first place."

"You did what?" Mike looks over at Stefanie in disbelief.

She lets out a sigh and looks over to Mike, "Mike, that was before I found out everything that happened at the hospital. Do you really think I would have offered to sign it if I had any idea that she was our daughter?"

"I can't believe you, Stef… No wonder she's so mad."

"So, this is my fault?" she yells.

"Yes," Mike and I answer in unison.

Stefanie shakes her head slightly as she stares at Mike blankly.

"Exactly how long have you known about this, Stef?"

"Since yesterday," I answer after I see Stefanie hesitate. "Which is why I don't see what the big deal is about signing the paper."

Mike doesn't even bother to glance in my direction and keeps his eyes focused on Stefanie, "And why is it that I found out about all of this less than ten minutes ago?" He crosses his arms and waits for Stefanie's explanation.

"Because I wanted to be sure, Mike! I didn't want to bring this to you, and then have you find out that she wasn't our kid!"

"Uh, Hello! I still might not be your kid!" I yell and I can tell that they both heard me, but they act as if they haven't.

Stefanie continues, "What if the tables were turned, Mike? What if she went to you first, huh? Would you have told me right away, if you weren't a hundred percent sure?"

"Gee, I don't know, Stef. But I know that I would've never agreed to sign the papers, if I knew there was a chance that she actually be our daughter."

_This people are freaking ridiculous. _I think to myself as I slowly grab my bag from the steps. _They're both wrong here. And I really hope that neither of them are my parents. _I glance at them once more before I continue walking down the steps. And even when I get all the way to the bottom, I can still hear them arguing away.

* * *

**Mike's POV**

"But I didn't know that. How could I have known that the doctor would do something like this? We both saw her; Mike, and neither of us had any idea that she could be alive. So how can you blame me for assuming, that when she showed up at my house, she wasn't really…"

I can tell that Stef was trying hard not to cry, by the sudden cracking in her voice. "I'm sorry, Stef."

She shakes her head, "It's fine."

"It's not fine. I shouldn't have said that. I'm just so mad…"

"Yeah, I am too." I watch as Stef glances around, "You've got to be kidding me," she mutters.

"What?" I ask I look around too and don't see Lux anywhere in sight.

"And she took her bag!" Stef grunts in frustration as she glances back toward the courthouse, "I'll check inside," Stef says as she runs toward the entrance.

"I'll look out here."

I quickly make my way down the steps and spot Lux sitting on the bench by the bus stop. I breathe a sigh of relief, and I can't help but wonder why I got so panicked in the first place.

I just found out that I had a daughter, so why did her leaving upset me so much?

And why did I feel so happy when I found her?

I consider what I want to do and what I should do.

I want to grab her by the arm and never let her out of my sight again.

I want to hold her, which was my biggest regret I made when she was born, and I know that Stef must feel the same.

But I know that's not what I should do.

As awkward as it is for Stef and I to have her back into our lives, it must feel ten times that to her. And I don't want either of us to scare her into trying to leave again.

I walk over and take a seat on the bench beside her and take a deep breath, "Look, I'm sorry for the way your mother and I acted back there. We didn't mean to upset you."

"You didn't." She looks over at me and I'm finding it difficult to read her face. I can take one look at Brandon and know exactly when something is wrong and his temperament, but Lux has this poker-face on, and I have no idea whether she's lying or not. She turns her attention to the street directly across from us, "This wasn't supposed to happen, ya know? You two were supposed to sign the paper without a second thought, and I was supposed to already be emancipated by now. But instead…" she shakes her head and looks down. "Instead everything's ruined."

"Ruined? Really?" I laugh and watch as she looks over at me with this look of disbelief.

"I'm glad you're finding the worst day of my life hysterical," she answers sarcastically.

"I am. I'm not going to lie... Because the worst day in your life has suddenly become the best day of mine." She furrows her eyebrows in confusion and I can't blame her. "Look, I know that your mother and I seem a little…"

"Insane," she finishes for me. "Yeah, I got that."

"…We were just worried. We already lost you once, Lux. We didn't want it to happen again."

* * *

**Lux's POV**

"I guess I never thought of it like that," I respond. That was the first time I realized, that they didn't ask for any of this either. I had assumed that they gave me up for adoption, so signing away their rights a second time wouldn't seem like a big deal.

I had never really thought of them as victims in this situation too.

"Yeah, well, I guess we could've explained ourselves a little better, rather than start fighting."

"Ya think?" I joke causing him to laugh.

_But I couldn't get too close to these people. _

_Come tomorrow, we could all find out that I'm not related to either one of them. And then, I'm back at square one… trying to find Jacqueline and Thomas Jenkins to get their signatures_.

_It would push back the hearing for another month, but I know I'd be okay to stay at Bug's apartment until then._

"Is everything alright?" I hear Stefanie ask from behind me. I quickly turn around and see her standing there and it appears as if she was out of breath.

"Uh, yeah," I answer her, but I wasn't entirely sure whether she was talking to Mike or I.

"We were just talking," Mike pipes in.

"That's good," Stef says as she tries to offer me a smile, but rather than return it I look toward Mike.

He takes it as his cue to talk, "So, I was thinking that maybe Lux should come stay with me, for awhile."

"With you?" Stef asks hesitantly.

"I mean, yeah. Why not?" he continues casually. "There's a heck of a lot more room at my place than at yours," he laughs and glances toward me. "I live alone, and I have a whole other bedroom that no one uses, where you could stay… I mean…Is that alright with you, Stef?"

"I just figured that she could stay with me and meet Lena and the kids…"

"Yeah, but with everything that's going on, do you really want to overwhelm her with all of that?"

"What do you mean?" Stef asks as she crosses her arms and looks down at Mike.

"I'm just saying that maybe we should give her some time before we throw your entire family at her."

"Excuse me?" Stef asks, and I can tell by the tone in her voice that she's angry with him.

"It's fine," I answer quickly, to avoid any more conflict. "Maybe it's better that I stay at Mike's…For now, anyways.,, It just makes the most sense. I mean, does your family even know about me?"

I wait for her to answer, but her silence answers my question. "... You see? It's probably better if they didn't, since we're still not sure about all of this anyway, right?" I try to smile even though I don't actually find any of this very amusing.

"I'm going to tell them, Lux. I promise," Stef tells me. She seems sincere and I want to believe her, but I know better not to.

"Sure."

I can tell that she wants to say something, but Mike interrupts, "Well, that's settled. You're staying with me, alright?"

"Yeah."

Stef doesn't respond.

"Well, I'm starved. Are you hungry? There's a burger place right down the block we could go to. What do you say?" Mike asks as he stares at me.

Normally, I would say no to him, but the awkwardness was too much for me, "Sure."

"Great. What about you Stef? Feel like grabbing something to eat?" Mike asks her.

"No…I'm good," Stef tries to smile, but I could tell that it was as forced as mine. "You want a ride?"

"No, we're good. Thanks."

* * *

**Lena's POV**

"And then, he said 'maybe we should give her some time before we throw your entire family at her.' Like if we were really going to overwhelm her. Classic Mike," Stef tells me as she rinses off her hands in the sink.

I open the fridge and grab a beer for her, popping open the tab and handing it over, "Maybe he's right." Stef lifts her eyebrows, and I can tell that I worded myself wrong. "That's not what I mean, Stef. I'm just saying, that to us, a house full of 5 kids is normal. But to Lux, it might be a little overwhelming."

"Lena, I get that. But did he really have to throw me under the bus like that. He basically told her, that there isn't any room in this house for her, so she'd be better off with him."

"There isn't a lot of room here, Stef—"

"For my daughter?" Stef asks angrily.

"I know that if we have to make room, we will. But if Mike wants her to stay with him and Lux wants to stay with him, and there's more room at his place, then maybe it's not such a bad idea."

"I can't believe you're agreeing with Mike on this, of all people."

"Stef, I know that you just found out about this, and I know that it might seems as if we're all ganging up on you, but I'm just trying to look at it from Mike's perspective and Lux's. You had a little more time to deal with this than Mike has—"

"A day," Stef snaps.

"That's a whole other day more than Mike had. And now he finds out that he has a daughter… And we have Brandon here with us, so maybe—"

"He thought he could just take Lux from me?"

"He's not taking her away from you, Stef." Stef shakes her head and takes another swig of her beer, "…Is that what this is about? …Stef, she's Mike's kid too."

"I know that."

"So, you and Mike are going to have to try to work this out. If you want Lux to be able to trust either of you, you can't keep behaving this way in front of her."

"What way?" she asks innocently.

"Jealous."

"I'm not…" Stef stops, and I could tell that she's starting to realize it herself.

"Mike's not Dr. Greene… He was in your very position fourteen years ago, and he's in the same position you're in right now. He went through all of it with you."

"Oh, please," Stef rolls her eyes.

"Stef."

"What?" she gives me an attitude, but I know better than to get offended by it.

"It's okay to feel a little jealous when it comes to Lux. But you have to remember that she is both of your kid." I can tell by her unwillingness to look at my face, that she doesn't want to hear it, but she has to. I raise my voice a little louder so she's forced to hear me, "The problem here is that neither of you know how to handle it just yet. But if Mike is being immature about it, then you have to be the better person and be the parent here."

"Am I the better person though?"

"What do you mean?" I ask in confusion. _Where is this coming from?_

"She asked me today, if I told the kids about her… And I basically said no… I've done nothing but let her down, since she got here, Lena. What kind of mother does that?"

"Don't do that to yourself. You're a good mother, Stef."

"Really? Because it seems as if all I'm doing here is messing up..."

"Then, fix it."


	10. Chapter 10

**Stef's POV**

I'm sitting at dinner, trying to find enough courage to tell my children about Lux. But I can't help but be nervous about their reactions.

_Will they think I've been lying to them?_

_I've told them, time and time again, that omission is the same thing as lying. And I hate myself for hiding Lux from them. But I couldn't understand why I felt the need to hide the fact that I had as stillborn child from them in the first place. _

_Would they ever trust me again if I tell them the truth?_

_But at the end of the day, I owe it to Lux to tell them about her. _

_That must've been the reason why she picked Mike over me. And I hate to even think that she thinks that I'm ashamed of her, because that's absolutely not the case._

_I'm ashamed of me, to be honest._

_I'm ashamed that Lux has to think that I've been hiding her all this time. The last thing I want her to feel is embarrassed because I felt the need to pretend she didn't exist._

One last look from Lena was all I needed, to force me to say something, "Guys, there's something serious that I'd like to talk to you all about."

I wait for one of them to respond as I steal one more glance at Lena, for the strength.

They all stare at me.

"Are we in trouble?" Mariana asks worriedly.

I smile, "No sweets. No one's in trouble. But… I have to talk to you guys about something important… I…Well, Mike and I…. I guess there's no easy way to say this..."

"What is it?" Brandon asks in an anxious voice.

I take a deep breath and glance at Lena again, before I can answer, "B… Your father and I had another baby…after you," I say nervously and wait for Brandon to continue the conversation.

"What?" he asks angrily.

I glance over at all of my other children's faces and see them all staring at me in confusion and with curiosity. "Fourteen years ago, I had another child….a girl…" I glance again and see that they all are waiting for me to continue, so I do, "…I gave birth to a girl…But the doctor… Well, the doctor told Mike and I that she was a stillborn...That she died during child birth."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Brandon asks. I can tell by the tone in his voice that he's upset with me.

And he has every right to be.

I stare at him for a while and I know that there's no excuse for hiding this from him, "I didn't say anything to anyone because I couldn't deal with it myself…After losing Lux, I couldn't—"

"Lux?" he asks angrily. "That girl who was here the other day?"

"Brandon," Lena intervenes. "Please let your mother finish."

I take another deep breath before I can continue, "Yes, Brandon. The girl that was here the other day is Lux…my daughter… It turns out that she wasn't a stillborn like I thought." I glance around the table and try to read my children's reactions, but the only theme I can read is confusion. "My doctor told me and Mike that she was a stillborn, but it turns out that he…intentionally handed her over to another couple. She was alive and I just found that out yesterday…." I sigh before I continue; "I didn't mean to hide this from you guys. That was not my intention at all."

"So what does this mean?" Jesus asks. "You have another kid out there?"

I glance at his face and then back at Lena's for reassurance, "That's exactly what it means… I have a biological daughter… But I want you all to know this does not change how I feel about any of you. I want you all to know that."

"We know," Callie assures me. I smile at her for being so understanding.

I glance at Mariana, who's sitting directly across from me. I can see the sudden worry in her eyes and I wish that I could reach my hand out for hers, but she has them hiding under the table. "You okay, Sweets?"

She takes a few seconds to answer, which leads me to believe that this is far from okay to her, "…Yeah…I'm fine."

* * *

**Lux's POV**

After dinner, I start to think that Mike doesn't seem as bad as bad as I thought he would be. He talked about his son, Brandon, a lot, and asked a few questions about my school and my life, but I made sure not to tell him too much.

_I couldn't get close to him._

_That's why I chose to go to home with him in the first place._

_It seemed like the easiest decision._

_He was single and didn't have anyone else living with him._

_He seemed nice enough; even though I knew that "appearances" don't mean much in this world we're living in._

_But Stef was different._

_And I wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing._

_What I knew, off the bat, was that she was getting attached and I didn't like it. _

_After listening to the nurse talk about what may have happened, she immediately wanted to take the DNA test._

_And after the way she had been acting after… It just didn't seem right to go with her.  
_

_The fact that she had such a huge family just added fuel to the fire._

_I may not be her daughter, so meeting all of those people would've been pointless._

_Mike was the safe choice and I jumped for it._

"Are you hungry?" Mike asked after I sat down on the couch a few seconds after stepping foot into his apartment.

"I just ate," I remind him and stare at him strangely. I can tell that he's nervous by the awkward smile that he has on his face. I kind of want to laugh, but I don't want to seem rude so I try my best not to.

"Right."

I nod my head and glance around his apartment in awkwardness. Then I glance at the huge piano in his living room, "Do you play?"

He laughs, "No. Do you?"

"Just a terrible version of "Chopsticks" that I unintentionally memorized when I was younger."

He nods his head.

"So why do you have a piano here if you don't play?" I ask in confusion.

"Oh," he laughs. "Brandon does."

"So, wait…Brandon's your…."

He smiles again, "My son… Yeah. Your brother actually."

"Yeah I met him. He seems nice…" I stare at him and try to find the courage to ask the next question that has been burning a whole in my mind ever since I found out that Stefanie had a wife. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure. Anything you want," he asks as he takes a seat on the couch directly across from me. "I'm an open book."

"Why…Well…How are you…How did you and Stef have kids if…"

"She's gay?" Mike laughs.

I smile awkwardly, "Yeah. I'm just a little…"

"Confused?" he finishes for me again.

"Basically, yeah."

"I was too," he chuckles and then glances over at me again.

"Well, Stef and I were married for five years, and within that time we had Brandon and you…Then, your mother told me that she was gay."

"So you didn't know?" I ask in disbelief. _He had to have known_.

"No, I didn't… I loved her a lot, and I thought that she loved me too, but I was blind in that aspect. And I guess…she was too… I've come to accept her for who she is now."

"But she lied to you," I remind him "For five years…"

"Yeah, I know," Mike shrugs. "But she was lying to herself for longer… I like to see her happy, and I know that I could never make her as happy as Lena does."

"Her wife," I remember.

"Yeah."

"Aren't you mad though? I mean… I would be if I was married to a woman who I thought loved me, who I spent so many years with, who I had children with… and then she just left me…"

"I was angry at first… But I've grown to respect her decision now. Her and Lena are both amazing women, have an amazing family, and Stef's happy, which is the most important thing."

"Wow, very insightful," I smile and he gives me a confused expression back.

"I can't tell if you're trying to be a smart-aleck or you really mean that."

"Strangely, I can't either… so I guess we'll just say it's a little bit of both."

* * *

**Stef's POV**

I'm walking up the stairs to Mike's apartment, when I glance down at my watch. It's 10pm.

_Maybe they're sleeping? I probably should've waited until tomorrow_. But I know I wouldn't have been able to sleep after the conversation I had with Lux earlier. The simple fact that she chose to go home with Mike just proved to me, how badly I had screwing this up already.

The second right before I knocked on the door, I realized how weird it felt to have to visit my daughter at her father's apartment.

_Is this how Mike feels when he comes over to pick up B?"_

I knock lightly and I wonder if I should've called first, to make sure they were awake.

"Coming," I hear Lux yell. Seconds later she unlocks the door and opens it. Once she sees me, she looks me up and down, "Hey, where's the uniform?"

"Is that all you have to ask?" I question as I wait for her to catch her mistake.

She looks at me in confusion, "Huh?"

I sigh and realize that I have my work cut out for me already, "You just opened the door, without even asking who it was?"

"Okay…" Lux says as she closes the door again, practically on my face.

I'm not even sure how to react to all of this. _Did I mess up again? _I wonder. I take another deep breath and knock on the door, already accepting the consequence of her ignoring it.

"Who is it?" she asks mockingly.

I can't help but smile a little, after I've realized that my little lecture had backfired on me, "It's Stef."

She opens the door, "Better?"

"Much," I nod.

"So, what's up? You here to see Mike?"

"Um, no I'm here to see you actually," I answer as I glance at her face again and try to read her expression. Normally, I can tell by a person's facial expression whether I should continue talking or not. But I actually have to wait for Lux to nod. "…I wanted to talk with you about what happened earlier today."

"Oh, you don't have to," she tries to assure me. "It's not a big deal, seriously."

"Yeah, well it is to me… I wanted you to know that I didn't not tell my family, because I felt embarrassed by you."

"Okay…"

"And I'm sorry if I made you feel that way."

"You didn't make me feel anyway," she answers casually.

"Let me finish," I stop her. I know that I'm not able to read her facial expressions very well, but I can tell by her voice that she's pretending as if everything is okay.

I can tell that she's pretending, because she's doing the exact thing I that do, when I'm upset and don't want to admit it, which just makes me fear that she's more like me than I would like. "I didn't want to tell my family because I didn't want them to get hurt if…well, if I found out that you..." I cough nervously, not wanting to make her feel uncomfortable by calling her my daughter. "…and I weren't biologically related. That's why I didn't tell Mike. I just wanted to be sure."

She squints her eyes at me, and I can tell that something I said struck a nerve.

"If you don't think that you weren't my birth mom, then why would you go through all of this? I'm not forcing you to do anything. I was trying to get emancipated today, remember?"

"I know that."

"Then, why'd you do it?"

"Because… I was scared." I glance back up Lux, and I know that it's too late to take back what I said. But it was the truth and I knew that she deserved at least that. "…I was scared that I was going to find out that you weren't my daughter."

"Stephanie…Stef, I still might not be," she answers sternly.

I stare at her for a long time and I can't believe that she really thinks that. She can't think that what she saying is true. _After everything that's happened, does she really still think that she's not our kid?_

"Do you really believe that or is that what you're telling yourself?"

"Excuse me?"

"I was telling myself the same thing you're thinking, because I was scared of finding out that you weren't. It was my way of protecting myself and preparing myself for anything. I didn't want to lose you a second time... which is exactly what would've happened if you got emancipated today… Look, I know that you're my daughter. You may not know it yet, but I do." She rolls her eyes and I could tell that she wants to slam the door on me, by the way her grip is tensing up on the edge of the door. "And you don't have to take my word for it… If I were in your position, I probably wouldn't either. But I needed you to know that I told my family about you, because I don't want you to think that I'm ashamed of you, because I'm not ashamed of you…I'm ashamed of me. I'm ashamed that I didn't recognize you as my daughter the second that I laid eyes on you. I'm ashamed that I hid the fact that I had this gut feeling that you were my daughter after we left the hospital, and I didn't say anything to you. I didn't say anything to Mike or my family because I was scared to find out you weren't. I'm ashamed that I was scared of all of that in the first place. It had absolutely nothing to do with you and everything to do with me. Understand?" By the time I'm finished I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes, and I'm just hoping that she doesn't see them too. The fact that she's not even staring at me anymore just might help me.

"…I guess I realized that you never asked for any of this either. And I didn't really expect you to tell your family," Lux admits.

"What do you mean?" I ask in confusion.

"Well, I was kinda thankful that you didn't tell your family…Up until now anyway… There's still a chance that this could be a big misunderstanding, and it all just seemed a lot…easier, I guess, if no one knew about me. Look, I'm sure that you're a terrific mom and you have a terrific family, but I have to be practical here. I mean, my entire life I've assumed that my parents gave me up because they didn't want me, and I've been on my own for 14 years now, taking care of myself… just a little over 24 hours ago, I find out that my parents may not have been the people who I thought they were… And all of a sudden, they're both hovering over me, completely ruining my chances of getting emancipated, something that I've been banking on for years now… And why? Because some crappy doctor intentionally messed up the paperwork 14 years ago?"

I take a step closer to her, and I'm happy that she doesn't back away from me, but upset that she glances down at the ground to keep from looking back at my face. I'm not sure if this is a victory or a huge step back, "Look, I know that this is a lot to take in, and I'm sorry that all of this had to happen so abruptly, but I can't change anything now… And I certainly can't go on with my life pretending as if yesterday didn't happen, as if I never met you. Because it did happen, and I'm glad that it did… Now I'm sorry that you think I ruined your plans today, but I'm not sorry for doing it. This is overwhelming for all of us, but I think that you came back to us for a reason, Lux. I know that this isn't easy for you and it's not easy for any of us, but you are my daughter, whether you choose to acknowledge it or not. You are. And I couldn't just sign a piece of paper and risk not seeing you again. That's not the type of family you have, and I'm sorry that you had to think that all this time. Maybe, you need the proof to really believe it, and that's okay with me. But just know that after you tomorrow, you have a family that wants you, Lux. And that's not going to change."

She stares back at me for a long time and I can tell that she heard me, by the glistening look in her eyes, but rather than accept my words she tries to remain hard as a rock, "You know what? I'm actually kind of tired and it's pretty late..."

I don't move in inch.

"I have school in the morning so…"

"Yeah, sure," I try to offer a smile and pretend that I'm okay with her lack of emotion toward all of this. "I'll see you tomorrow then?"

"Yeah," she says causally as she closes the door.

"And Lux…Happy Birthday," I mumble at the door and just hope that she heard me.


	11. Chapter 11

**Kay guys, thanks again for all of your reviews. Reached 200, which is kind of cool :)**

* * *

**Mike's POV**

I wake up this morning and the second I open my bedroom door, I see Lux tying her sweater around her waist. I glance at the clock through my squinted eyes and see that it reads 6am. _Why is she up this early?_

"You going somewhere?" I ask in confusion.

"Yeah, school… You know that place that I'm forced to go to by the state every weekday or I get in trouble?"

I laugh. _She's beginning to sound a lot like Brandon._ "Does your school normally start at the crack of dawn?"

"No, but if I want to get there on time, I'm going to have to take a bus or two…" she stops and thinks, and I can tell that she has no idea how to get there from here.

"You're not taking the bus...especially if you have no idea where you're going. I can give you a lift."

"No, that's okay. I'm fine taking the bus. Oceanside is kind of far from here anyway, and you probably have work so—"

"Oceanside High School?" I ask in disbelief.

"Um, yeah?" she gives me a confused look, as if her going to one of the most violent and drug filled schools in San Diego was not a big deal. "Is that a problem?"

_Yeah, it's a problem,_ I want to tell her. But I don't want to make her feel like I'm already meddling in her life. I've already done enough of that yesterday, so making a big deal about it would probably not be the brightest thing. "No, it's not a problem. But I'm still giving you a ride. And I won't take no for an answer," I tell her in a jokingly way.

"…Mkay," she answers skeptically as she eyes me up and down.

* * *

As soon as I pull up in front of the school, I can already see the security guards standing in front of the school, scanning the students with the metal detector at the entrance.

"Okay, thanks," Lux says as she opens the car door.

"Wait…You want me to walk you in?" I offer.

"Absolutely not," she answers immediately. "No offense, but a cop walking me to school would probably be social suicide for me. But thanks anyway." She offers me a forced smile and closes the car door.

I quickly roll down the window, "What time do you get out so that I can pick you up?"

"I can get a ride," she answers and before I can say anything else she's halfway across the street yelling, "Bye!"

* * *

**Lux's POV**

I had to wait over 5 minutes for Mike to actually leave the front of my school, before I could sneak away from it. I didn't want a ride, because I wasn't planning on actually going to school in the first place, but I couldn't tell him that.

"Where the hell have you been, Lux? We've been looking everywhere for you," Bug greeted me as soon as I stepped foot in his apartment.

"We were about to call the police," Tasha says.

"For what? Why?" I ask in confusion.

"We were worried about you. We thought something bad happened," Tasha complains.

"Where were you anyway?" Bug asks.

"Mike's apartment."

"Who's Mike?" he asks angrily.

"My 'supposed' biological father, remember?…Look, I'm sorry you guys, but they showed up at the court and…"

"And what?" Tasha asks worriedly.

I knew that she was not going to like what I had to say. "I couldn't get emancipated."

"What!" Bug starts.

"Somehow, they found out that I was going to forge the signatures and they threatened to turn me into the police, if I didn't go home with one of them. They took back all of the papers and I missed my hearing."

"Oh my God, Lux. What are we going to do? What am I going to do? My court hearing is less than a week away!" Tasha complains as she starts to pace the apartment.

"I know, Tash. I'm sorry. But wherever I am, you can still get emancipated."

"How? Your bank account and your getting emancipated was my only leverage."

"She gets that," Bug tries to defend.

"I don't think she does! I can get thrown back in juvie for running away from foster-care!"

"Well, what do you want me to do, Tash? They took everything!"

"But you said that they didn't even know that they were your kid, right? So…So maybe when they find out you're not, they'll give you the papers back."

"Yeah… but, I still missed my hearing."

"So? We'll set a new hearing. For next month or something, right? This could still happen."

"And what if she is their kid?" Bug asks Tash. "Then what, Lux?"

"I don't know."

"What? You're just going to go live with them?" Bug asks in disbelief.

"No," I answer defensively. I hated that they were making this out to be my fault. "I didn't ask for this!"

"Then get out of it," Tasha answers as if it was that simple. "Tell Fern that they're unfit parents and that you don't want to live with them. Either of them. Fern will put you in a new foster-home until you can get another hearing—"

"Guys…I still don't know that they're not my real parents."

"Lux is right, Tash… Maybe we're getting ahead of ourselves a little. When do you find out?"

"Today, actually," I remember.

"Okay, good," Bug places his hand on my cheek and gently strokes his thumb on my face, "So, we'll wait until we find out before we all stress out. And if you are their kid, then…we'll figure something else out. You won't have to be stuck with these people, okay? We'll all run off New York if we have to."

"Or Mexico?" Tash smiles.

"Tasha, what's up with you and Mexico?" I laugh because she's always bringing it up randomly.

"Hey, don't make fun of my dream, alright," she defends. "It'll happen."

"Well, your dream is going to have to wait," I remind her. "We have to at least show up to school if we want to get credit, don't we?"

* * *

**Stef's POV**

After Mike called me to tell me that he dropped off Lux at Oceanside, I'd be lying if I said I hadn't reacted horribly to the idea. _Why hadn't I at least bothered to ask her where she went to school yesterday?_

I knew that I was going to transfer her to Anchor Beach with the rest of the kids, but I wanted her to meet them first, before I had her show up to their school.

I should've told her to take today off anyway, because I knew that we were going to have to go back to the hospital to see Dr. Silver today for the results. But I was waiting the hospital to call me to tell me when to come in.

I didn't need to see the results, because I already knew that she was mine. But I had a feeling that Lux needed to. It wouldn't hurt for Mike to see them either. Maybe it would put them both at ease a little bit.

When I walked up to her school's front office, the last thing I expected to hear was that she wasn't there. "What do you mean she's not here? Her father just dropped her off a couple of hours ago. There has to be a mistake."

"There isn't ma'am," the secretary answered with an attitude. "The principal checked her classroom, himself. Lux Jenkins isn't in this building."

"Did she show up at all?"

"I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?" I ask in confusion.

"Ma'am, the teachers here don't take attendance until noon, because the students used to come in the morning and then take the rest of the day off. So, I can't tell you if she came here and left. But I've called her over the intercom, and she's not showing up, so my best guess is she's not here."

I walk out of the building and words cannot explain how worried I am now. _Did she runaway?_ The last thing I needed was to relive last year with Callie running away. I take out my cell-phone to call Mike, and the second I put it up to my ear I see Lux and another girl walking towards the school.

"Stef?" she asks in confusion. "What are you doing here?"

I hang up the phone. "What am I doing here?" I ask in disbelief. "What are you not doing here? Mike told me he dropped you off before school started."

"So this is the infamous Stef?" the other girl says, as she looks me up and down. "I disagree Lux. She does look like a total bitch that she is."

"Excuse me?" I ask in disbelief.

"Tash," Lux chastises.

Tasha puts her hands up in surrender, "Just being honest…Well, not that this doesn't seem like a fun conversation and all, but I'll wait for you inside."

"Yeah," Lux tells her.

"Where were you?" I ask again, once the other girl is out of sight. "Didn't Mike bring you here a few hours ago?"

"Yeah he did. But I had somewhere I had to be. And I'm here aren't I?"

"That's not the point. You can't just show up to school whenever you want."

"Why not? It's not like anyone actually notices… And I still don't understand what you're doing here," Lux cross-examines me. "If you're checking up on me, I'm going to the court myself and asking for a restraining order," Lux jokes but at the same time I can hear a hint of seriousness in her voice.

"I…came to pick you up, because Nurse Silver called and she got the results for the…paternity test," I finish uncomfortably.

"Okay…And?"

"And she wouldn't give me the results over the phone which is exactly why I came to get you. I figured that she'd have a hard time reaching you, since you gave her a fake phone number…" I stare at her sternly, letting her know that I didn't appreciate that.

Her face freezes, "Yes. Did you forget about that… just as you forgot to show up to school?"

"I didn't forget to show up to school. I'm kinda here, remember?" she says pointing to the building, "School."

"This is not okay, Lux… We'll talk more about this later, but right now we should probably get going," I say pointing toward my car. She shakes her head and starts to walk toward in sulkily.

* * *

**Lux's POV**

"Good afternoon ladies," Nurse Silver greets as soon as we walk into her office. "I'm so glad you were able to come, Lux. I was having some difficulty reaching you…"

"Really? That's strange," I say casually, trying my best not to seem like I'm lying.

I think I can actually see Stef biting her tongue as she's looking at me. She turns back to face Nurse Silver, "Good afternoon to you too."

"Can you ladies have a seat right there?" she asks as she points to the chairs in front of the desk

Stef takes a seat quickly and waits for me to do the same. Reluctantly, I do.

The nurse sits down on the opposite side of the desk, "Okay. So, I don't want to make you two wait any longer than you have to. The results have come in and it turns out that Stefanie… you are Lux's biological parent."

After I hear the woman's words, I can't even move.

_There had to have been a mistake._

_These results were supposed to be my 'get out of jail free card'._

_But instead, I felt as if everyone was backing me into a corner now._

_The nurse,_

_Stef,_

_Mike,_

_Tasha, _

_Bug._

_I can hear the nurse mumbling some words, but I've tuned most of her voice out. _

_Unfortunately, I could still make out bits and pieces of it._

"_Combined Parental Index…3 thousands…no room for doubt…We're really sorry…"_

_But I hear Tasha's voice loud and clear in my head, "Tell Fern that they're unfit parents and that you don't want to be with them."_

_Is that what I was supposed to do now?_

"Hey, Sweets. Are you okay?" Stef asks as she puts her hand on my shoulder.

_Sweets? Why was she calling me that?_ I tense up at the contact and luckily she gets the clue and backs off.

"Yeah, are we done?" I ask the nurse and try to remain as cold and shut-off as possible. The nurse just stares at me without another response and I take that as my cue to grab my bag and exit the building.

* * *

**Stef's POV**

After Lux and I got back into my car, I turned on the ignition and put the gear stick in reverse to back out. But when I caught a glimpse at her face I quickly pushed it back up in park.

"Lux, please say something," I beg. "Anything." _I didn't understand why this was happening. These DNA test results were supposed to bring us closer, not farther apart. She was supposed to finally realize that she had a family, not get angry about it._

She turns her head to me, "What do you want me to say? Do you want me to say that now everything's better because of all of this?"

"Maybe not, but you could at lease acknowledge that I'm here. I'm sorry, but ignoring me won't make it go away…" I sigh once I see her turn back to look out the window. "You know, I actually thought that this, today, would be a breakthrough for us… I thought that you'd finally try to accept me, your father, my family, once you saw these results. At least, that's what I was hoping for…"

I wait for her to respond again. I'd even settle for outrage at this point, but she remained silent.

"Are you upset with us or are you afraid—"

"No," she replied with annoyance. "I just… I didn't expect these results… I didn't want them to come back like this."

"Well, they did," I answer flatly. "So, I think what we should do is try to make the best of it." I glance at her once more before I put the car in reverse again.

Maybe she was just in shock and she just needed some more time.

At least, I hoped that was all it was…

**Kay, so I know I said I was going to have Lux meet the rest of the family this chapter, but I wanted to write in the results first. And I have something bigger and longer planned for that, so I didn't want to just throw it in this chapter, sorry if I disappointed you. But next chapter, definitely! PROMISE.**

**And did you guys know that Lux's "almost step-dad" Ryan (Cate's fiancé in Life Unexpected) is going to play Callie's dad in The Fosters? I found out a couple weeks ago and forgot to mention it, but I thought it was pretty interesting :P **


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey! Sorry I haven't updated in a few days. I've been binge-watching seasons 1 and 2 of Orange Is the new Black. I got addicted and couldn't write until I finished it.**

* * *

**Lux's POV**

I sat silently for the rest of the car ride, wanting nothing more than to travel back in time.

_If I would've went to the hospital first and gotten my birth-certificate, none of this would've happened. _

_I would've gotten emancipated yesterday and never met these people in the first place. And I would've saved myself all of the drama._

Before I realize it, Stefanie is parked outside of a Shop-Rite.

"What are we doing here?" I ask her.

She sighs heavily, "I told you that I had to make a pit stop to pick up some things for dinner."

"Right," I answer casually, even though I hadn't heard her mention anything. _I wonder what else she might've said that I probably agreed to._

I catch her trying to hide a smile, as if she knew that I had just lied. I watch her turn off the engine and get out of the car, "You coming?"

"Why? Do you need help or something?" I ask. _I wasn't trying to sound rude, but I figured sending me off to find stuff in a supermarket that I've never been in, would've probably taken much longer, than if she went in alone._

"Um, no. I just need to get a couple of things. I'll be right out okay?"

"Okay," I answer.

She glances at me worriedly, as if I were going to runoff as soon as I was out of her sight. I can't help but get annoyed, but then I realize that she has good reason not to trust me, after all of the semi-illegal things I've done since I've met her. "I promise not to highjack your car and drive off to New York, Stefanie."

"Well good," she says awkwardly and then grabs her wallet from the cup holder and closes the door. I watch her as she walks towards the supermarket. I study her walk from behind and wonder why she looks so tense as she's walking. _Is that how I walk too? Or is it just some kind of cop thing?_

I think back to what she said about the dinner. _Was I expected to go to this dinner? Did I accidentally agree to it during the car ride?_

_My best guess is yes._

_I glance up again and notice a payphone_.

"Thank God," I mumble as I scramble through my pocket for some change.

* * *

When I get to the pay-phone, I dial Gavin's cellphone number. I can't help but be relieved when he answers, "Gavin, it's Lux. Is Tash there?"

"Hey, Lux. I'm fine. How are you doing?"

"Sorry, Gavin. I'm using a stupid payphone and I don't have a lot of change."

"Lux, where the hell did you go?" Tasha asks a few seconds later.

"The stupid hospital. I had no choice apparently."

"So did the results come in? Are you free?"

I gave he a short laugh, "No. Quite the opposite actually."

Tasha grunts into the phone, "Shit, Lux! Now we're screwed."

"You're telling me?"

"This complicates everything."

"I know…Maybe not," I offer. _Did this really have to be such a bad thing?_

"What?"

"…I was just thinking, that ya know, maybe this isn't the worst thing in the world."

"So, what are you saying? That you want to dump us for these people?"

"What? No, Tash."

"Good. Then, get out of it. Call Fern or just leave and come here right now."

"They're cops, Tash."

"So?"

"And Stef has like ten kids. If I lie and tell Fern convince fern that she's a bad person, she could lose them too."

"So, you're going to stay with them?"

"No, Tash. I just… I need time to figure something else out, okay?"

"Fine."

"Are you mad?"

"No. I'm fine."

"You're mad. I can tell."

"I'm not mad. I'm frustrated. Whatever…Are you still coming over today?"

"Yeah, I should be."

"You better. Kinda hard to have a birthday dinner without the birthday girl."

"My birthday was yesterday."

"Yeah, well we're celebrating it today. So you better be there."

I laugh, "Promise."

"Kay. I'll talk to you later."

As soon as I hang up the payphone and look up, I see someone standing in front of me. It was the last person I'd thought I see right now.

"Lux, hi," Valerie says as she offers me a smile.

I can't even speak, and suddenly I freeze in place, as if I forgot how to walk away.

"How have you been?" she asks nicely, as if everything that happened between us had just been a bad dream. Her eyes are filled with excitement, as if she was actually happy to see me. _How could she be happy to see me, if she was the one who threw me away?_

"Fine. I actually have to go," I answer flatly as I gain my composure and try to walk passed her.

"So soon?" she follows.

"Yeah."

"I thought maybe we could talk."

* * *

**Stef's POV**

By the time I walk out of the supermarket, my attention is automatically brought to Lux instinctively. It was weird how I could find her so easily, as if there weren't any more people outside. I start to walk over to her and I see that she's talking to someone.

Normally I can't read her facial expressions, but right now I can see that she's either scared or upset. I conclude that it has to do with the tall brunette standing in front of her, so I pick up my pace and meet them. "Is everything okay here?" I ask Lux, but I stare at both of them while I ask.

"Yes, I was just saying bye," my daughter answers as she sticks her hands inside of her pockets and walks toward the car.

The woman looks me up and down and offers me a forced-smile and starts walking toward the Shop-Rite. I watch as she makes her way inside before I start walking toward my car, which Lux is already in by now.

I get inside and turn on the engine, wondering if I should ask who that was, without seeming too pushy. Instead I try to go the non-direct route and hope that she does the talking, "She seems…nice."

Lux gives me a short laugh, "Seems being the operative word."

_What did that mean?_ "…Do you want to talk about it?" I ask.

"Nope," she answers flatly.

"Okay…" I take that as my cue to discontinue the conversation.

* * *

**Lena's POV**

I'm in the kitchen cooking with Callie, and we're all waiting for Stef and Lux to arrive. Brandon and Jude are at the table doing their homework, while Jesus is listening to music from his laptop and Mariana is texting away.

I walk over to Jesus and remove his headphones, "Okay, you guys. I need you all to be on your best behavior, today. Your mom is very nervous about this, and I want everything to go well."

I'm greeted with a bunch of "uhuhs" and "okays." "Guys, I'm serious, okay. Your mom and I really want to make this work and we really need you guys to work with us on this. I know that it may not be ideal to have another person in this house, but Lux is part of this family, so we need to treat her as such."

"Okay," Callie answers with a head nod and a smile.

"We got it," Jesus says.

_I'm glad that at least two of my children seem to be on the same page as me_. "And we need to do our best not to overwhelm her too much." I stare right as Jesus when I speak, "That means no asking nosy questions."

"Why do you have to look at me when you say that?" Jesus asks innocently.

"Honey, I think you'd make a great detective one day, but let's leave most of the question asking, if there is any, to your mom or I, okay?"

Jesus smiles, "Detective Foster. I could get used to that."

"Is she going to move in here?" Mariana asks abruptly. "I'm already sharing a room with Callie. I don't think I can take another person in there."

"Thanks," Callie answers sarcastically.

"No, I like you," Mariana corrects. "But I think I'd lose it with another girl in there."

"Mariana, I can't make any promises. But as for right now, Lux will be staying with Mike at his place."

"She's staying with my dad?" Brandon asks in an annoyed voice. "Where? In my room?"

_I can tell that this bothers him even more than it would, if Lux was staying here_, "Yes…"

Callie finally speaks, "He is her father too, Brandon."

"I know, I just... I didn't think she would be there is all." _It was obvious that he and Mariana were taking this the hardest out of everyone, but they had to get over it some way or another. Lux was Stef and Mike's daughter._

I continue, "Well she is. And from what I hear, it's her only option right now and we don't turn away family."

"I thought you said DNA doesn't make a family," Jude asks in confusion.

"It doesn't, sweetie. But in this case, it does."

"How?" he asks with even more confusion written on his face. Mariana and Jesus look at me too, as they wait for my response.

_I'm not even sure how to answer his question, so I'm relieved when I hear the front door close and footsteps_, "We'll continue this conversation later. Can everyone just promise to be extra nice to her for now?"

Everyone nodded with agreement even though Brandon and Mariana both had annoyed looks on their faces.

* * *

**Callie's POV**

I couldn't understand why Brandon was being such a jackass about all of this. This girl was his biological sister. If I just found out I had a biological sister, the last thing I would be is upset about it. If I didn't have Jude, I didn't know what I'd do with myself, but if I didn't know any better, I'd think Brandon was jealous about it all.

I couldn't understand why he was so worried though.

When Jude and I came here, Brandon was nothing but nice to us.

But he finds out he has a biological sister, and he acts like he wants nothing to do with her, like he doesn't want her staying here with us, or at his dad's place?

I knew I'd have to ask him about it later, and if he continued to behave like such a douche, neither Stef nor Lena was going to be happy about it.

I expected as much from Mariana to be honest. She didn't like me at all when Lena first brought me home. I figured that she would get over it soon and learn to accept her.

As soon as Stef walks into the kitchen, everyone turns their eyes toward her, "Everyone, I'd like you to meet Lux. Lux, this is—"

Stef immediately stops talking the second that I accidentally drop the knife on the ground that I had been cutting zucchini with. I gasp with shock as I realize that it almost stabbed me in the foot.

"Sweets, are you okay?" Stef asks as she walks over to my side to pick up the knife.

"I'm fine," I snap as I keep my eyes focused on the girl in front of me.

_I've seen this girl before and I hated her guts._

_Out of all the people in the world, this one was the last person I expected to see._

_Why didn't I remember her name until now?_

_Why didn't I put two and two together?_

I can feel Stef looking at me skeptically, then at Lux, then to Lena. "Lux, this is Callie, my wife, Lena, Mariana, Jesus, Jude, and you've already met Brandon."

"Hey," Lux waves at them all unenthusiastically, and then looks at me with curiosity. "You look kind of familiar. Do I know you from some place?"

I look over at Jude and I know he recognizes her too, but he's begging me not to say anything with his eyes. "No…I have one of those faces, I guess." I grab the knife from Stef's grasp and walk over to the sink to rinse it off.

* * *

**Lux's POV**

At the start of dinner, everything seems awkward. I'm almost glad that I can't stay long because I have to go to Bug's apartment afterwards.

"I hope you like Lasagna," Lena offers as she puts the dish on the table for everyone and waits for my response.

"I don't eat meat," I answer casually, trying not to sound like a total bitch when I'm saying it. _It was true. I really don't._

"Oh," Lena looks surprised and somewhat embarrassed as she looks at the dish. "I didn't know that." She glances back to Stef as if asking her what to do next.

"It's okay. I'm actually not that hungry anyway."

"You have to eat something," Stef says as she puts the bowl of mixed vegetables on the table.

"I will. I'm actually going to a friend's house in a bit, and I'm planning to eat there so it's fine."

All of the kids look towards Stef and Lena as if waiting for one of them to reprimand me or something. "What? Did I say something?"

Stef continues, "Um, no… We just thought that you'd stay for dinner and—"

"Isn't that what I'm doing?" I ask in confusion. _It's bad enough I didn't want to be here, but now they're all acting as if I haven't been trying at all._

"Yes, technically… But we just thought that we'd use today to get to know you a little bit better. That's all."

"Okay...but I promised my friends that I'd be there. It's kind of important."

"...That's fine," Stef answers calmly as she takes a seat at the table.

We sit through an awkward moment of silence, as I start to eat pieces of vegetables from my plate, to keep my mouth full before I could say anything else that made this conversation anymore awkward. _I felt bad for wanting to leave early but I expected that this dinner wouldn't last very long in the first place. And Tasha and Bug would kill me if I didn't show up to my own birthday party, after I had to blow them off yesterday. Doing the same thing again wasn't going to happen._

Jesus breaks the silence, "So, you were in foster-care?"

"Uh…yup," I answer. _He doesn't waste anytime._ I glance up at see Lena giving him a reprimanding look.

"What'd you do to get kicked out of your last foster-home for?" Callie asks accusingly.

Stef puts her fork down and glares at Callie, but Callie doesn't even glance in her direction, as she still has her eyes focused on me.

"Nothing," I snap back. _What the hell was this girl's problem?_

"So, I hear you're going to Oceanside High School," Lena buds in, in an attempt to change the conversation.

"Uhuh," I answer as I stick a piece of broccoli in my mouth.

"I heard someone shot up the place," Jesus says. "Did you see it?"

"Jesus," Lena chastises.

"No, it's fine," I assure her. This conversation seemed more interesting then Callie's. "No one shot the place up. Some idiot brought a gun to school to show it off. And he accidentally shot a bullet through the wall of the boy's bathroom. He said that he didn't know it was loaded. Go figure…"

Jesus laughed, "Your school sounds like more fun than mines."

Stef interrupts, "Lena's actually the vice principal of Anchor Beach Charter School. All the kids go there. And I was thinking we could enroll you sometime this week."

"What?" I ask in disbelief.

"It's a really good school," Lena continues.

"We were lucky to get in," Jude says with a smile.

"I like my school just fine," I answer. _The last thing I needed was to switch schools right now. It's bad enough my grades are crap, since I've switched schools thirteen times, but to switch again would suck. _

"I'm sure you do," Stef answers with more than a hint of sarcasm. "You get to show up whenever you want..."

"So?" I ask in confusion. _What was it to her?_

"So, I think that you should go to a better school, where you actually learn something."

"I can't switch schools," I answer flatly. "It's the only time that I get to see my friends. And I'm the only reason why Tasha even goes to school. If I switch schools, I know that she wouldn't even bother to go."

Stef moves her food around in her plate, "Tasha? The one that was with you when I picked you up?" Stef asks.

"She didn't mean what she said to you," I try to explain. I was kind of upset with Tasha for calling Stef a bitch and insinuating that I called her one too, no matter how accurate it may or may not be.

"Well, legally you can't stay at Oceanside. Neither Mike nor I live in San Diego, so you're going to have to transfer to a school in town."

"Anchor Beach is a really good school. You're going to love it," Lena continues.

_I doubt that. I want to keep arguing, but it seems as if it'd be no use to these people. I stay quiet and shove another piece of broccoli in my mouth, to keep me from saying what I really want to say._

"You can invite your friends here, whenever you want," Stef offers as if it was some kind of a peace treaty.

_What she didn't know was that they wouldn't want to come to this house at all, and to be honest neither did I._

"Your mom's right. We'd love to have them over," Lena says. I nod my head and shove another piece of broccoli in my mouth, and glare at my now empty plate.

* * *

**1 more day! I'm so excited! I can't wait for tomorrow! And I started watching that new show Chasing Life and it's not half bad so far :)**

**Oh, and thank you all for reviewing/reading/favorite-ing/and following! I know some of you are dying for the family to meet Bug. That will happen soon :)**


	13. Chapter 13

**Stef's POV**

I couldn't believe how badly this dinner was going.

This wasn't supposed to happen. All of my children were supposed to try to get along and Lux was supposed to see that this was a better place for her to stay than Mike's. Instead:

We try to serve meat to a vegetarian.

I'm supposed to be her mother and the fact that I don't even know that she doesn't eat meat, just makes me feel more like crap.

Callie's being rude, which is something I haven't seen in a long time, since the day Lena brought her home to be exact.

Jesus is talking about a school shooting, when he knows how uncomfortable Lena feels about gun talk in this house.

Mariana isn't saying a word, and behaving nothing like herself.

Lena looks as if she's going to cry over the fact that the dinner she worked so hard to prepare for Lux went practically untouched by her.

And Jude is staring at Callie as if he was afraid that she would explode at any minute.

And Lux looks like she's ready to pounce from her chair the second that she finishes the depressing pieces of vegetables on her plate.

It was obvious that she hated the fact that she had to switch schools, and to be honest I did understand where she was coming from. But it wasn't legal for me to allow her to attend another school out of the county. And the school that she was attending was pretty crappy and filled with nothing but drugs and violence. I would know because I've had to show up there practically every week because of it.

It was a change that she was going to have to deal with, and I knew that it was for the best.

* * *

"I should actually get going," Lux says as she begins to stand up. "I promised my friends I'd meet them at seven and it's already six."

To make things worse, I didn't even know how to parent her. She acts as if it's perfectly okay to make plans and leave, without asking for my permission. I knew that I couldn't let that behavior slide in front of all of the other kids, because I was afraid they'd all think it was okay to do that too. _Why did this seem so much harder with Lux than it was for Callie? _I know that the fact that she chose to live with Mike had something to do with it. But I had a feeling that even if Mike laid down the rules for her, she wouldn't think twice before breaking them.

I wipe my mouth with a napkin and even though I'm not finished eating, I start to stand up, "I'll drive you."

"No, that's okay. I actually prefer to take the bus." All of my kids look at me as if they're waiting for me to yell at her or something.

_Did she really think this was up for discussion?_ "And I prefer to drive you," I answer in my no non-sense tone. I was getting pretty agitated that she was behaving as if she didn't actually have to listen to me.

"Fine," she answers in a defeated tone. She looks toward Lena, "Thanks for dinner, Lisa."

Jesus can't help but laugh, while everyone else is looking to Lena and I for our reactions again.

"Her name is Lena," Callie points out angrily.

Lux looks toward my wife, "Sorry Lena. I'm just really bad with names. I wasn't trying to be rude or anything."

"It's fine," Lena says with a smile as she brushes it off. "I understand."

"Okay," Lux says awkwardly. "Well, bye everyone. I don't really want to get anyone else's name wrong, while I'm here, so...I guess I'll wait outside?"

"Yes, I'll be right there," I answer. As soon as she leaves the room I look towards Callie, "And we're going to have a talk when I get back."

* * *

**Lux's POV**

I'm leaning against Stef's car by the time that she comes out of the house. It would've been nice if she just offered the ride, but the fact that her offer turned into an order was really starting to get on my nerves. Her daughter was extremely rude for no reason, and the fact that I was starving wasn't helping my mood at all. Eating a few pieces of vegetables in over twenty-four hours was hardly enough to keep my stomach from growling.

She opens the car doors with her automatic-key and we both get in. _God, please don't let this woman talk during this whole ride…_

I've always had bad luck when it comes to praying, because she automatically opens her mouth, "Hey sweets, I'm sorry about the way Callie behaved tonight. That's not like her at all actually, which is really weird."

"That's fine," I assure her. _Why does she keep calling me that, as if it'd make the situation all the more better? Callie's behavior doesn't excuse hers…_

"It's not fine… I'll talk to her." She puts her car in reverse, "So, where are we headed?"

"Tijuana."

"Tijuana?" she asks as if she heard me wrong.

"Uhuh." She nods her head reluctantly and puts her car in drive. Most people in nicer neighborhoods got nervous when they heard the town's name. It has a bad rep and I'm not so sure it's deserved or not. Yes, there's a lot of violence, but I've never really thought about it as the "danger-zone" that these people think of when they hear the name. Or maybe I've spent so much time there that I don't even notice it anymore. I guess you can get used to just about anything.

"…Do you spend a lot of time there?" she asks.

"Pretty much." I knew that I was making it hard for her to continue talking by my short answers, but that was the point. She didn't get it though.

She coughs nervously as straightens herself in her seat, "…So whose house are we headed to? Tasha's?"

"Yep," I answer. I didn't want to go into the entire conversation about Bug, because I knew that would lead to more unnecessary questions.

"Oh, she seems nice…"

_Did you forget the fact that she called you a bitch earlier?_ I wanted to ask, but refrained from doing so. "I guess."

"How long have you two been friends?"

"…Since we were seven."

"Wow. That's a long time."

"Yep."

She sighs, "You know, I really wish you would participate in this conversation some. It kinda feels like I'm talking to myself here."

"That's not what you want," I answer in disbelief as I shake my head. _Who is she kidding?_

"What does that mean?" she asks in confusion.

"…Nothing. Just forget I said anything."

"No, no, no. You were going to say something so say it," she continues in a serious tone as she decides to pull the car over and put it in park.

"Fine… You say that you want me to participate in the conversation, when really you just want me to go along with whatever you say. God! Ever since you found out I was your kid, you've been telling me what to do, what school I have to go to, where I'm going to stay, where I'm going to go, how I'm going to get there, and ignoring my input completely. And what? Now all of a sudden you want me to talk? As if my opinion actually matters to you?"

"It does matter, Lux… Look, I'm trying the best that I can here, and it's not easy for me either… I'm sorry if you feel like I'm… trying to control you in some way or another. But like it or not, you are my kid."

"Unfortunately," I mumble. Immediately after I said it, I felt like complete crap. And the silence that followed it didn't help either. "…I'm sorry, Stef. I didn't mean it like that."

"Yeah…you did," she mumbles and I could hear the pain in her voice as she answers and it just makes me feel all the more worse. "But that's okay. This is something that we're all going to have to learn to adapt to, and thing's will be more normal before you know it."

"Normal? How could this ever be normal?" I ask. _I practically made her cry and she thinks that this will be normal soon? What the hell is she talking about?_

"It's going to take some effort, from both of us… I don't want to feel like I'm the only one trying here. I get it, okay. You didn't ask for this and the last thing you expected to happen three days ago was to find out that your parents loved you, that they didn't give you up for adoption, and that you were taken from them and given to someone else who decided to give you up for whatever reason. But it did and none of this is going to go away, no matter how hard you try to fight it… And I know this completely ruined your whole plan to get emancipated and you're pissed about it. I would be too, if I were in your shoes. And I get how it could feel like your father and I are trying to control you and turn you into someone else… But we're just trying to do what's best for you. And if we thought that sending you off to live on your own at fourteen years old was a good decision, we'd be all for it. But it's not," she starts shaking her head slightly. "…We're good parents and you would see that if you just gave us a chance… Can you do that?"

_She asks that as if the answer was so simple…as if I could snap my fingers and be the prodigal daughter they had expected me to be._

_Couldn't she see how messed up I was?_

_Couldn't she see that she should be running in the opposite direction, rather than chasing me?_

"…I'm not so great at this daughter-thing," is all I can muster out. "I don't know how to make some effort…"

"That's okay," she assures me. "Because I'm actually great at this mother-thing," she says confidently as she smiles and tilts her head to the side. "I've already driven you crazy, so I must've done something right."

I can't help but laugh and for some reason and I hate myself for it afterwards. _I knew that I shouldn't be letting her get to me._

_I should keep my distance._

_She could reject me tomorrow and I learned that lesson the hard way from Valerie._

_Nothing is permanent._

* * *

**Stef's POV**

I couldn't help but wonder why Lux felt the need to disguise her smile so quickly. It was as if she didn't want to get too attached to me, as if she was afraid to actually like me.

She reminded me a lot of Callie, when she first came to live with us. She was very closed-off and impersonal, but something was keeping Lux from wanting a relationship with me. _Was it her friend, Tasha? It was the only person she had ever mentioned since I met her. _

I realize that I have been staring at her for a long time and it's obvious that I made her feel uncomfortable by the way she's fidgeting in her seat and looking away from me. "I'm sorry. I must've dozed off," I tell her as I put the car back in drive and make my way back on the road. I couldn't tell her that I was contemplating on whether or not I should hug her.

_I wanted to. Ever since we left the hospital and the nurse told me there was a possibility that I was her mother. _

_But I was afraid of what that hug would do._

_The last thing I wanted was to freak her out so soon. _

I would have to take baby-steps before I do that. It was like Mariana all over again, with Callie's jumpiness and trust issues mixed into one. I knew I had my work cut out for me here.

After a few minutes of silence in the car, I finally ask the question that was burning in my throat, "So where are we really going here?" I glance in her direction as I ask it. I knew that there was a chance this wouldn't work, but it wouldn't hurt to at least try it.

"What do you mean?" Lux asks in confusion.

"Love, I have five teenagers at home, and I can smell a lie miles away," I stare at her sternly, "Rule number one in the effort-making handbook: Trust. We have to learn to trust each other… So where are we really going?" I continue to look back at the road so that I don't scare her too much, and so that she feels safe with telling me the truth.

I can practically hear her gulp out loud, which causes me to smile slightly, "Um…Bug's apartment."

"Bug?" I ask as I squint my eyes and make a face.

"My boyfriend."

"Oh," I answer casually even though a thousand worries go through my mind at once. I'm not even sure how to respond but she's being honest with me and showing that she's trying. So pouncing on her about this didn't see like the brightest idea at the moment. "…Does your boyfriend live with his parents in this apartment?"

"Nope. He's on his own. I was going to live there after I got emancipated, but we all know how that went," she says sarcastically. "…The exact opposite happened."

I try to keep my cool and act as if my fourteen year old daughter didn't just tell me that she was planning on moving in with a guy named Bug. _Was that where she had been staying, when I went to go check on her at her foster-mom's house? Why am I automatically assuming the worst possible scenario? _I knew that I probably shouldn't seem upset about it, and it'd probably be best to keep it cool. I didn't want her to stop talking.

I start to remember Mariana, when she first started to open up to Lena and I. It took almost two weeks before she actually started answering with more than just a yes or no. And when we finally got her to open up, she started talking about every bad thing that ever happened in every home she ever been in. Of course it was uncomfortable for Lena and I at first. But we were more relieved to hear her voice and glad that she felt safe enough to talk to us.

I guess I'd have to do the same thing with Lux in the present situation.

"My friends will be there too," she continues, as if that makes it okay. I still didn't like the fact, that there wasn't going to be an adult present, but I would try to suck it up for now.

"Tasha?" I ask, letting her know that I'm at least trying to remember their names. The fact that she called Lena "Lisa" earlier worried me a little. And I know that Lena must've felt bad about it too.

"Tasha and Gavin, Natasha's boyfriend."

I nod my head, as I try to remember her friends' names."…So, how old is he? This Bug kid?" I finally ask.

"He just turned seventeen last week." _Here we go again… _The mom in me wants to overreact about the age-difference, but I knew that it'd just get her to close up again. I try to convince myself that it's not that much of a gap. There's a wider gap between Lena and me.

"Does he go to school with you?" I ask.

"Used to. He dropped out last year."

_The news about this Bug guy seems to get better and better._

"Uh-hm," I say skeptically.

"Not that he's not smart or anything, because he is… He just saw no point in going after awhile... Make a right, there," Lux says as she points to the next block.

"No point in going to school, huh? He should have a talk with Lena. He'd be begging to go back after she was done with him," I laugh.

"Maybe. Lena seems nice…"

"She is," I smile at the thought of her and I can't help but feel relieved that she likes her.

"How long have you two been together?"

"Ten years. Almost eleven."

"That's a long time," she mumbles.

"Yes it is," I agree.

"You can stop at the grey building," she says as she points to a few buildings down.

I do just that and put the car in park. "What time should I pick you up?" I ask, knowing that the question might retract an angry comment. I didn't want to seem overbearing, but I needed her to know that she wasn't going to stay over here again, regardless of what she did while she lived in her past foster-homes.

"I can get a ride to Mike's," Lux answers casually as she gets out of the car. I take one look at the neighborhood again and see a just how bad in shape it was, not to mention the street was pretty dark, due to the one street light that actually worked on the entire block.

I stare at her for a while and it's obvious to her that I want to get something off my chest. I don't want to make it seem like I'm breathing down her neck or anything. But I know that if this were Mariana or Callie, I would never have let them come to this neighborhood alone in the first place, let alone drop one of them off here and let them figure out a way to get back on their own.

She senses my hesitation, "Do you want to come in? …I mean, you don't have to, if you don't want to."

I'm taken aback by her offer and I know that she's probably only offering out of pity, but my level of curiosity is suddenly bigger than my pride, "Sure."

* * *

**Okay, sooo I wanted to sort of squash the drama between Lux and Stef for now. I'm trying to show that they're both trying to make this work (baby steps people, baby steps.) And I needed that to happen before I explain the whole Callie/Lux situation next chapter.**

**And as always, thanks for all of your reviews! And hello to the new followers :)**

* * *

**SPOILER ALERT-** **Was anyone else disappointed in the time jump in last night's premiere? There were a few flashbacks but I wanted to see so much more. Like when Mariana first dyed her hair- her families reactions? Or everyone's reactions to Brandon's beating? Or more from the court hearing when it came to Vico? Or the conversation Callie had with the moms about not wanting to find Robert Quinn? Or when Stef and Lena told the rest of the family they were actually pregnant? So much of the good stuff was just skipped… And for some reason I'm definitely not feeling the Wyllie. There was so much more drama with Brallie, believe it or not and I never thought I'd say this, but I want them back together now more than ever. **

**Just my thoughts. You don't have to agree with them, but I just wanted to vent. Feel free to vent to me about last night's premiere too. Disagree? No problemo. I'm bored and I'd love to read your thoughts :) Oh, and I hate Jesus and Emma together. I liked him with Lexi way more, and something about Emma pisses me off for some reason. I don't know why. Maybe it was because she knew he had a girlfriend and tried to get him to break up with her (She's too slick for me). And that promo for next episode- let's hope that there's not a "Morning After Part 2…"**


	14. Chapter 14

**Callie's POV**

After Lux left, I wanted her never to come back. I couldn't have history repeat itself. I wouldn't allow it.

Jude was adopted so I knew that he was safe, but I still haven't been so lucky.

All I knew was that this was my family, and I wanted to stay. I'd be damned if Lux thought that she was going to just show up and ruin everything. If so, she had another thing coming.

The fact that she didn't even recognize Jude or I pissed me off ten times more, because she hadn't even realized what she had done the first time around.

And all that means is that she wouldn't hesitate to do it all over again.

But not if I could help it.

I tried my best to assure myself that I wasn't going anywhere. Even the few times that I was taken out of this house for multiple reasons, I hadn't been as terrified as I felt when I saw Lux walk through the door with Stef.

I tried to mask my fear with anger, because it was the quickest response that I could think of at the time. The fear of being taken out of here again just made me want to fight for my place in this family even more.

And if that meant I had to scare her away, I had every intention in doing so. I knew that I would get in trouble for it afterwards, but I didn't care at this point. I'd be in trouble, but I'd still have my family.

* * *

After everyone was finished eating, I quickly stood up from my chair to run upstairs, until Lena stopped me in my tracks.

"Callie, stay. I need to talk with you," Lena orders.

I hesitate and keep myself from turning around to look at her, contemplating on whether or not I should keep going as if I hadn't heard her call my name.

"Callie," she repeats a little louder this time and I'm forced to turn around and face her. _Too late._

I sigh before I take my seat back down on the chair. "What?" I ask in a ruder tone than I intended.

Lena tries to keep her composure, as she lifts her hands on top of the table and folds them over each other. She looks at me with her eyebrows raised and doesn't say anything. I quickly shift my attitude and my tense posture. "Sorry," I mumble.

She nods as she accepts my apology, "Want to tell me what happened tonight?"

"What do you mean?" I ask casually but try to avoid her gaze. _Please just drop it,_ I want to plead. _Telling her might do more harm than good._

"Callie…" she says as if she knew that I was hiding something from her. I hated it when her and Stef could see right through me.

She waits for me to tell her but I don't. "I need to know why you were so rude to Lux?"

_I was rude to Lux? That's what she was worried about? Her? _

She gently places her right hand on mine, "Honey, I'm just trying to understand all of this… When I first mentioned that Stef had a daughter, you seemed fine with it. I thought you would've been the nicest out of everyone, and then… Sweetheart, are you worried about something?"

I don't respond. _Of course I'm worried_! I want to yell. _You're my family and she's going to take that from me!_

"Hun, if you're worried about something, I can assure you that you really have no reason to be… Mom's not going to love her any more than she—"

"That's not what I'm worried about," I interrupt. _Lux and Stef bonding was the least of my worries at this point. I hate that they are related, but I had bigger things on my mind._

"Then what are you so worried about? You can tell me."

I shake my head and stay silent. _I want to tell her, but I didn't want them to think I was making it all up or something._

"…Callie?" she asks again.

Before I know it, my mouth opens before my mind has enough time to catch up to it, "I'm worried that she's going to get me kicked out again, okay?"

_It's too late to turn back now. The words already slipped out, and I knew I would be forced to finish._

"What do you mean kicked out again? …Callie, do you know Lux?" Lena asks worriedly but sternly.

I finally meet her gaze, "Yes… She used to be my foster-sister. Jude's too…"

"Why didn't you say anything before? Why didn't she say anything?" she asks in confusion.

"I was afraid to. And from the looks of it, I don't think she remembers us anyway. I only lived with her for about a month a couple of years ago."

"And she got you kicked out of a foster-home?" Lena asks.

I nod, "Right after I moved out of the Olmsteads, I moved in with the Gilberts… It was the safest place Jude and I had been to and the shortest stay… The couple were some of the nicest people we had ever met before you guys. Lux was being fostered by them too by the time I got there. And one day, her and her friends decided to spray paint the entire outside of the house as a prank or something… I don't know why, like that would matter anyway… And when the Gilberts came home, they got really pissed and sent us all to back into the system. After that, Jude and I got placed with our last foster-father, and you know what happened there," I finish. _To be honest, I blamed Lux for everything that happened after that. Because of her, Jude and I were sent off to live with that drunk, Jude got beat, and I got sent off to juvie_. _Even if I hadn't seen Lux after that day, I know that none of that would've happened if she hadn't ruined the one safe home we had before this one._

I watch as Lena takes a deep breath. "Oh my God," she mumbles to herself. "Are you sure that it was Lux?"

"I'm positive. I couldn't forget her face," I answer without hesitation. "And when I saw her come in, I… I didn't want it to happen again…" I could feel the tears burning in my eyes and Lena stands up from the table and rushes over to hug me. I finally breathe the second she embraces me in her arms.

"I promise you that nothing like that is going to happen. You hear me? Your mother and I would never send you away… even less for something you didn't even do…" I nod into her shoulder, and I do believe her. I need to believe her or I think I'll fall apart.

After a few seconds she backs away, "Thank you for telling me, and I promise you that your mom and I are going to talk about it when she gets home, okay?" she smiles at me to try to get me to lighten up and to my surprise it works…

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**Thank you guys so much for reviewing. And reading. And following.**

**So if you guys remember the Gilberts from Life Unexpected, you should have a clue of Lux's reasoning for doing what she did.**

**If not, just remember that there is always more than one side to every story.**

**In this case, there are three :)**


	15. Chapter 15

**Lux's POV**

"Where exactly are we going?" Stef asks as we both make it halfway up the stairs.

"The roof," I answer nonchalantly.

It was where we always met when it was one of our birthdays. We would decorate the roof with lights and make our food over the grill. It wasn't a huge celebration but that was beside the point. The point was to celebrate another year that we were all together. And it was always pretty special to all of us, which was why I was upset that I missed it yesterday.

"The roof?" Stef asked in a confused tone, and I can't help but smirk. Thankfully she doesn't see it.

"You said you wanted to come, remember?" I reminded her, wondering if she was going to change her mind about it now. Honestly, I kind of wanted her to. I hadn't checked with Bug, Tasha, and Gavin before inviting her and I wasn't so sure how they would feel about it. It wasn't like we never invited other people over to these things. I'm pretty sure some of Bug's friends were up there too, but we never had an actual adult, let alone a so-called "parent" at these things. But Stef really wasn't a parent anyway.

"Yeah-yes, I'm fine with it," she tried to assure me but the stuttering in her voice proved otherwise.

* * *

**Stef's POV**

The second Lux opened the door, to the roof, I couldn't help but be surprised by what I was seeing. When she mentioned that we were going up to the roof of Bug's apartment, I only agreed because I really didn't want her to be here alone without an adult present. I wasn't expecting much, but the fact that her friends made it into something nice for her, just showed me how much they must mean to her and vice versa.

Everyone else hadn't seem to notice that we had arrived, except for the girl that I had seen at Lux's school, Tasha, and some kid who had a huge tattoo of something I could barely make out on his neck. _Please don't tell me that's bug,_ I pray to myself, while the two of them just stare at me. Tasha is giving me what I suppose is her death-stare, while the other kid just looks confused as to why I'm here. I'm suddenly glad that I changed out of my uniform before coming over, otherwise I'm sure that the stares would've been much worse.

I glance at Lux's face, and I could see the worry in her eyes. As much as I should be concerned about why that is, I'm feeling more relieved that I'm started to be able to read her a little bit more. When I first met her, up until the day we received the paternity results, she had on this poker face that wouldn't allow me to see how she was feeling unless she actually told me. But now, I'm actually able to notice these things, which makes me feel somewhat closer to her. I knew that I had a lot more work ahead of me, but I was getting somewhere which was better than nowhere.

Tasha and the boy slowly walk over. "What is she doing here?" Tasha asks Lux and I can tell by the look on her face, that she's suddenly regretting inviting me up here.

Lux turns to the boy, "Bug, this is Stef. Stef, Bug," she points to him. "Tasha and I will be right back," she says as she grabs Tasha's arm and walks to the farthest corner of the roof.

"So, you're Stef?" Bug asks casually. I can tell that he's trying to be nicer than Tasha, which I'm actually thankful for.

"And you're Bug?" I ask and I can't help but make a face once I realize that the huge tattoo on his neck is actually of a spider-web. _What was the point of that?_ I want to ask, but I know that I have to at least try to make nice with him. Lux must really like him if she was planning on moving in with him. "So…Is that your real name?" I ask jokingly to try to lighten the mood.

"Yes," he answers flatly and suddenly the smile disappears from my face.

_Something tells me I already managed to screw this up completely_, "Oh, I'm so sorry. I just…I've never heard of that name before. I wasn't trying to be rude or anything."

"So, what are you doing here?" he asks in a harsher tone than he first had when he greeted me. _I messed up bad._

"Lux invited me," I tell him and try to keep my composure. There was no way I was going to get talked down upon by some kid, least of all by some kid named Bug with a spider-web tattoo.

"I don't mean what you're doing on this roof. What are you doing here in her life? Our lives?"

"Excuse me?" I ask as a warning for him to take on another tone. It was something I've done with my kids, every time I wanted them to think about what or how they had just said something before repeating it back to me. _But Bug wasn't my kid, and he had no fear in me._

"Lux has a family. WE are her family," he points to Tasha and then himself, "And from what I hear, you have your own family… Adopting random kids, while you left your own to survive on the streets and bounce back from home to home. And now you, what? Feel guilty about it and think you can just take her back?"

I'm taken aback by his words and even though I know that they don't hold much truth to them, I did actually feel guilty about the life that Lux had to endure because of all of this. But I wouldn't let Bug scare me away from being in my daughter's life now, "You don't know what you're talking about," I answer in a voice that's just as angry as his, if not more.

"No? I know plenty more than you. I know that for one, you can't force Lux to do anything. So, whatever it is you're trying to do to control her, isn't going to work... Another thing you don't know, she doesn't need you; you need her. She's plenty able to take care of herself. She's been doing it for years, so the fact that you're trying to turn her into something she's not, isn't going to fly well with any of us, least of all her. And you wanna know something else? …If you start a war with us, don't be surprised when Lux isn't on your side. All she needs to hear from us is that we don't want you, and you're gone. Just like that," he snaps his fingers just for emphasis in my face and it takes all of my will power to keep myself calm. "You and your ex-husband will never see her again, after my say-so. Why? Because WE are what's most important to her. So, if you're planning on only being in her life for a month or a year, than I suggest you go now, because she doesn't need anymore of that. I'll make sure that none of that happens."

"I'm not going anywhere," I assure him.

"Funny thing is… words don't mean shit to any of us." With that, he shakes his head disapprovingly and walks back towards the grill and starts talking to another kid. He looks toward me every few minutes just to see if I'm still standing here.

I knew that he wanted me to leave, but I wasn't going anywhere.

* * *

**Lux's POV**

"Did you really have to invite Goldie-locks over there?" Tasha insisted.

"Tash, I know that you don't really like her—"

"Correction: I hate her."

"You don't even know her," I try to tell her as I turn around and glance at Stef and Bug, who seemed to have been talking. I hoped that things would go well with them, and I was more afraid of Tasha's reaction toward her, for good reason. Which is exactly why I dragged her away. Natasha already called her a bitch and I figured that was enough name calling for one-day.

"I know enough. She can't just take you from us, Lux."

"She's not taking me from you. I'm here, remember?"

"But you had to bring her," Tasha pointed at Stef and I quickly pushed her finger down, in hopes that Stef hadn't seen it.

"No, I wanted to bring her. It was my choice not hers."

"What?" Tasha snaps as she folds her arms over her chest.

"It was my choice… Look, I know this isn't exactly an ideal situation for any of us, but I think we need to try to make this work. And I need you on my side here, Tash. I can't do this without you."

I watch as she shakes her head, "This is our thing, Lux. Why couldn't they celebrate your birthday on their own time or something? I don't like any one else being here," she finishes almost pouty.

"Because I just met them, and I wanted her to come and meet you guys. You guys are my family and if she wants to accept me, she needs to accept you too."

Tasha takes a deep breath, "…Fine. I'm only doing this because it's your birthday... But if she comes here during mine, I fully reserve the right to kick her the hell out," she smiles and I can't help but smile too. _It was better than nothing._

"Sounds fair… I just needed this, especially after the weird dinner we had at her house today."

"Weirder than this? Get out!" she says sarcastically.

I laugh, "Yep, it was so strange. First they try to feed me meat... you know how that must've went…"

"Vultures," Tasha hisses.

"That wasn't even the worst part. Her foster-daughter was really rude to me for no reason."

"Damn…Want me to go kick her ass?" Tasha offers.

"No, Tash," I laugh again, but I know that she would do it too. "It was just… she said something weird like 'What'd you do to get kicked out of your last foster-home for?' or something like that…I know that it shouldn't have bothered me, but I feel like I knew her from someplace to make matters worse. Her face was really familiar and I couldn't pin-point from where…"

"Well, what'd she look like?"

"My age, maybe a little older, brown hair, your skin-color, brown eyes…she had a brother too, who also looked kinda familiar," I shrug my shoulders, "maybe she's just worried that I'm going to take her place or something. Which is totally stupid, considering I don't even want to, but—"

"Was her name Callie?" Tasha asks. "And her brother's name starts with a J?"

"How do you know that?" I ask worriedly. "Hold up…Do we know her?"

"Uh-huh. I was in almost all the same classes as her in the seventh grade… and you lived with both of them, remember?"

I think back to where I was, when Tasha was in the seventh grade. I was in the sixth, so that meant I was living with Trey and Valerie. But I couldn't remember any one else in that house at the time.

Tasha sees the confused look on my face and explains further, "You were in the hospital when they first moved in, remember? After you had that stroke? You barely saw them after that, and what she said made sense."

"Oh my God," I mumble. "I remember now… A few days after I came back, you and I destroyed the house to get me kicked out… How could I forget about that? Ugh!" I hit my forehead as I suddenly remember what we had to do.

"Yeah, and it also worked for her."

"What do you mean?" I ask in confusion.

"I never told you this because you were in the hospital and than you go out and were acting like a mess—"

"Thank you," I interrupt.

"Well you were… but whatever that's besides the point. The point is that Callie spoke to me once after that, at school. She recognized me from that day because she saw us, when we spray painted the house. And she told me what happened. Well, more liked yelled it at me… but I just ignored her and told her to get out of my face. But from what she said, when Trey and Valerie kicked you out, they also kicked out Callie and her brother."

"So, wait a minute… That's what she's mad for?" I ask in disbelief.

"I guess."

"What the hell is wrong with her? I did her a damn favor by getting her kicked out too. Trey and Valerie were the worst people I've ever lived with… They were the ones who made me want to get emancipated in the first place. I cannot even believe her."

"I guess she didn't see it the same way…Look, I know you never wanted to talk with me about what happened, and you don't have to. But… maybe you should tell Callie."

"For what? So she could call me a liar? That's what everyone else already thinks of me. As soon as Callie tells Stef what I did, the whole world will think it too."

"Well, then they'll be wrong… and stupid for thinking that," Tash says as she pushes my hair behind my ear. "Who cares what everyone else thinks anyway, right? You will still have us. You'll be our liar…Lux the liar," Tasha jokes and I can't help but laugh. It felt like a forced laugh though, because I didn't want Stef to think that of me. Or her family. Or even Mike.

But once again, I shouldn't have expected anything more.

It was my fault for letting my guard down, and I knew it was about time to pull it back up.

* * *

**Okay, thank you guys so much for reviewing. I always like reading them and helloooo to the new followers!**

**On another note, how do you guys feel about Bug? And Tasha? Just curious. We got a little more info about them in this one.**

**Also, if there's something else you would want to see or more of another character, please let me know. I'd love the ideas :)**


	16. Chapter 16

**AN: I got a review about Lux being a little brattier in this than she was in Life Unexpected which is understandable. I made Lux as a more complicated character on here for many reasons. One being that her parents aren't Cate and Baze. Those two were more carefree than Stef and Mike are, so I alternated her reactions to everything as such. Plus, I changed a lot from Life Unexpected, so this is how I would imagine Lux reacting with all the changes. It's no secret that Stef and Mike are more authoritative parents, who have had children and know how to set boundaries and rules. In Life Unexpected, Cate and Baze had no clue what they were doing and it showed in their parenting. A) Cate was acting drunk at Lux's party and trying to be her friend so that Lux would like her more and B) Baze letting her throw a party as his bar, giving her plenty of access to alcohol and there are many more of these "parenting" scenes throughout the two seasons. Who would take them seriously after that? Also, something that would change Lux's opinion about everything is that Cate and Baze signed the paper so that Lux could get emancipated without a second thought but were given temporary custody by the judge and had no choice but to make things work and take care of Lux. Whereas in this fic, Stef and Mike are already parents and already know the ins and outs of parenting, so they try to take Lux in as their own, without her consent. Stef promised to sign the paper when she had no idea that Lux was her daughter, so you could just imagine Lux's hostility toward her and Mike, who also refused to sign. So, I made her more difficult on here, because it isn't her choice to be with Stef and Mike, or a judge's, it's theirs. In short, she has more of a reason to be angry with Stef and Mike as well as their families, than she had with Cate and Baze. I'm alternating her energy, because the family she is around now, is completely different than the family she had in Life Unexpected. I'm sorry if you think she's being different. But I think she would need time to adjust to all of this and I don't think she would be all calm and collective if she were being forced to act like someone she's not. In addition, there are a few other things that will be tweaked from Lux's life, especially the Valerie and Trey situation and that will also have to do with the defensive wall that she's putting up. If you guys have any more questions, please let me know. I don't want to confuse anyone, but I don't want to make everything so close to the show either.**

* * *

**Stef's POV**

A few minutes pass in complete awkwardness as I wait for Lux to walk back over toward me.

Surprisingly, she doesn't.

I'm not sure why, but she doesn't even glance over in my direction. It's like she completely forgot that I was here to begin with, and she wasn't trying to make an effort anymore in our relationship.

My phone starts vibrating and I can already sense that it was Lena.

_Who else would be calling me at this time?_

I answer it, "Hey, babe. What's up?"

"Where are you? I thought you were just dropping her off, Stef. That was over and hour ago?" she asks me with a hint of hesitation in her voice.

"Yeah, I know. I just came over to meet her friends."

"Oh..." she answers and I could tell that something was up.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

"Nothing. I mean….It's just…"

"Babe, what is it?" I ask. I couldn't take the awkward silence between the line anymore. I needed her to spit it out already.

"I spoke to Callie…"

"And… Did she give you a reason as to why she behaved the way that she did during dinner?"

"Yes."

"And?"

"And I think you it'd be a good idea if you and Lux come back… There's more to the story than you might think."

I contemplate as to what she just said. _What did she mean by that?_ I wonder.

"What are you talking about. hun?"

"Callie thinks she remembers Lux from another foster home…" she answers nervously.

"She thinks?"

"She's pretty sure," my wife corrects. "I'll talk to you more about it when you get here. I just… when are you coming home."

"Soon, Love, soon," I answer as I hang up the phone and pick up enough nerve to walk over toward Lux. I knew that it was a bad time to interrupt her, but I knew that we needed to get to the bottom of this and the sooner the better.

* * *

**Lux's POV**

When Stef walked over toward me and asked to leave, I tried my best not to get riled up by it. No, I didn't want to leave my own birthday party. And yes, I could sense the tension that Tasha and Bug were sending my way when they realized I was about to go, but they couldn't realize that I was trying to make things work between all of us.

_Although I couldn't understand why…_

_Once Callie told Stef and her entire family about what I had done, they wouldn't want anything to do with me. _

_Not even Stef._

_But maybe that was a good thing. _

_Maybe that was for the best._

_She and Mike would be more inclined to sign the papers and I could do what I wanted to do in the first place._

I watch as Stef opens the door to her house for me and allowed me to walk in, and I couldn't help but wonder, if it were the last time I would be invited into her home. _But why did I feel almost upset about the thought?_

Stef closes the door behind us and ushers me toward the kitchen, "This way please."

I follow behind her without even thinking about it, and as soon as I enter the kitchen and see Lena and Callie waiting for us.

_And let the games begin…_

"Sit down, love," Stef instructs.

And strangely, I find myself doing just that. _Did I feel intimated by her?_ I have no idea. But nonetheless, I take a seat on the only empty stool, now that Stef has occupied the one next to me. Unfortunately, I was sitting in the stool right across from Lena.

"So…" Stef starts awkwardly. "I've been told that you and Callie know each other… Is this true?" she asks as she cocks her head to the side and waits for me to answer.

_I wouldn't._

_It would just burry me farther into the ground._

She glances toward Callie, once she sees that I'm not going to provide her with the answer that she's looking for. "Callie, is this true?" she asks her softly.

Callie looks directly at me, and I could tell that she's nervous.

_But why should she be?_

_My guess is that she's been in this family for longer than I have, which has been a total of three days now. So whatever she says is going to be believed by them over me._

_And it's not like she wouldn't be telling the truth anyway. _

_I was in no place to contradict her._

"Um…" Callie starts, "I remember you from when we stayed at the Gilberts house. I don't know if you remember…but when you did what you did…you got Jude and I kicked out too."

I stare at a spot on the floor across the room, once she's finished talking. I wouldn't look up at any of the judgmental looks on their faces, because I've seen enough of them.

I'm not even sure what to say at this point. Luckily, I don't have to say anything, because Stef asks the next question, "What do you mean she got you kicked out, Callie?" I can tell the tone in her voice depicts confusion. Though I can't understand why, because Callie's words were recited clear as day.

Callie gulps loudly before she continues, "Her and her friends sprayed graffiti all around the outside of the house we were all living in… as a prank, I guess."

_A prank? I hardly called it a prank. It wasn't meant for laughter or something to be remembered._

I keep my eyes focused elsewhere, but I can still feel Stef's gaze falling back on me, "Lux, is this true?"

_Does it really matter what the truth is anymore?_

_Doesn't she realize that she's asking me a hypothetical question? It doesn't make a difference whether I say it is or it isn't, she already knows the answer to the question._

Lena speaks next, "Honey, you're not in trouble here. We just want to know the truth. That's all."

I finally glance over at her, once I realize that it shouldn't even matter to me what these people think. _Maybe this is for the best anyway, right?_

_I just came here to do one thing, to get approval and get emancipated_. "Yes, it's true," I answer as I stare from Lena to Stef.

"Why?" Stef asks with confusion.

Just another question not worth answering, but by the look on her face she still expects one.

"I… can't even remember. Two years is a long time," I answer. "I did a lot of stupid things."

_Yes, it was a lie, but why should I even bother confessing the truth now? _

_So I could have another mom not believe me?_

_I didn't need relive another Valerie moment._

_I think I'll pass on that one._

I glance back over to all of them and I'm not sure what they expected from me.

"Why didn't either of you mention it before?" Stef asks both Callie and I.

I shrug my shoulders. I didn't want to waste my energy on my "I forgot" response. They probably wouldn't believe it anyway. I've already lied to Stef too many times and she knows it.

Callie doesn't answer at all so Lena speaks for her, "Bug here was worried that the same thing would happen again."

Stef reaches for Callie's hand, "Hey, come on now. You know we would never let that happen, right? I told you that Lux coming here wouldn't change how I feel about any of you kids."

"No, I know. I just… I don't know what got into me," Callie says awkwardly.

Stef quickly stands up and walks over to her and pulls Callie in for a hug. She sighs heavily. "I told you that you'd never have to worry about anything like that again. And I meant it," she says as she lets go of their embrace and looks her in the eyes. "No more of this keeping things to yourself. We talked about this, yes?" Stef asks her and Callie nods back. "Alright, now get to bed," she finishes as she playfully pushes Callie out of the kitchen.

I couldn't help but wonder, _Did this girl seriously think I was going to get her kicked out of another house just by me being there? And did she really think that I was out to get her or something?_

_Why couldn't she realize that I didn't want to be there as much as she wanted me there?_

* * *

**Stef's POV**

What Callie just admitted to me was the last thing I was expecting when Lena told me that she remembered Lux from another foster-home. I already knew that I had my work cut out for me with Lux and the rest of my kids, but I didn't expect that there would be any problems so soon into inviting her over. And what Lux and her friends did… as a prank?

"So, how was dinner with your friends?" Lena asks in an effort to move from the awkward silence to a decent conversation.

"Short," Lux responds flatly.

I could tell that she felt uncomfortable about the entire situation, understandably so. And the fact that I cut her own time that she got to spend with her friends did make me feel even worse. "I'm sorry that I cut short your visit with your friends. And I'm also sorry that you didn't really get to eat, Sweets. But, I can fix you up something now. What would you like? A sandwich maybe?"

"I'm actually not that hungry," she responds almost emotionless as she tries to stand up from the stool.

"Don't be ridiculous. You only had like five pieces of broccoli all day," Lena says plainly.

_Four actually. But I don't want to correct her and have Lux think that I'd watched her while she ate, even though it was the truth._

"I can fix you something real quick. Just tell me what you'd like on your sandwich…"

"Seriously, I'm not hungry. I'm just tired. Is Mike coming to pick me up or are you dropping me off?" she asks casually.

I hated that she already wanted to leave. And it bothered me even more that she felt like she had to go to Mike's to feel comfortable. She was going to have to get used to us too, regardless of what happened between her and Callie. So I glance down at the table and try to pick up enough nerve to lie, "Mike actually texted me that he was working tonight, so he asked if you could stay here and I said yes. Soooo… Are you sure you don't want to eat anything? It's really no problem at all," I assure her.

Lux crosses her arms over her chest. "I'm positive that I'm not hungry."

Lena glances toward me and I know that she can tell that I'm trying to change the direction of this conversation to a more positive one, but am failing miserably, "Well, why don't I show you where you'll be sleeping?" she says as she stands up and gestures Lux out of the kitchen, "Right this way."


	17. Chapter 17

**Lena's POV**

Lux sat in the armchair while I tried my best to apply a fitted sheet around the couch cushions to make it seem as comfortable as possible. I wanted her to feel at home here, but I could tell that this was probably the last place she wanted to be at the moment, because every few seconds I'd catch a quick glimpse of her and notice, that she had been staring in the direction of the front door the entire time. The first though that ran through my mind was that Lux looked as if she might actually be thinking about leaving.

I couldn't blame her for wanting to, after the conversation we all just had in the kitchen. But at the same time, I did have some concerns regarding her past behavior that Stef seemed too quickly to dismiss, which did bother me. Stef could've pushed her for more answers rather than the one that she allowed Lux to get away with, which didn't tell us practically anything. Yes, she admitted to doing it, but someone doesn't do something like that to a house they have lived in for years without some serious explanation or sign of repentance. Callie had mentioned to me that Lux lived with the Gilberts for two years before she decided to take part in that little stunt with her friends.

_Lux hadn't spent one night here, so what's to stop her from doing something like that again? To this house?_

But I knew that Stef would be devastated, if Lux just got up and left during the night, so I attempted to make her feel more at home, "How many pillows would you like?" I ask her softly, but surprisingly she didn't even bother to glance in my direction. "Lux?" I ask again to catch her attention.

"Huh?" she says as she finally looked up toward me.

I smile, "Are you okay with one pillow or two?"

She looks at me as if I had just spoken another language. "It doesn't matter," she answers nonchalantly.

"Okay, I'll leave them both and you can decide."

She nods her head. "Great," she answers flatly.

We share an awkward moment of silence and I can't help but wonder why Stef wasn't here to help me with this conversation. That's when I realized that Mike had probably never mentioned going to work and she was most likely filling him in on the situation at the moment. I glance back at the sofa and realize that there wasn't really anything else I could do to make it more comfortable, "Well, I hope the couch is comfortable enough for tonight…"

"Yep… It's fine, thank you."

I took a deep breath before I decided to continue, "You know… I want you to know that Callie and I weren't trying to gang up on you or anything of that nature so, I'm sorry if it felt like that. Stef and I just always feel like it's important to get everything out in the open, so that there are no surprises later. And now that this situation has been dealt with, maybe you and Callie can start getting along?" I ask almost as a plea. I needed for Callie to feel completely secure in this home and I felt that she was until Lux showed up. "…You're a part of this family now and we all need to try to move passed everything that's happened in the past, right? We're not going to blame you at all for the things you have done years ago, and you don't have to tell us why if you don't want to. That was then…and this is now. Right?"

There's a sudden moment of silence before she actually speaks, "…And what exactly is now?"

Her question takes me by surprise, partly because I was just expecting an 'Okay' from her. "What do you mean?" I ask her in the calmest way possible.

"Nothing. Just… Never mind. Forget I said anything," she answers almost emotionless as she walks over and takes a seat on the couch that I had just made and begins adjusting the pillows.

"No, what were you going to say," I try to push her for an answer, just as an effort to keep her talking. I had barely heard her say anything other than answering Jesus' obnoxious questions at the dinner table, which had absolutely nothing to do with Lux herself. So I was curious to see what she meant by her question.

"You say 'That was then, this is now,' but isn't Now just the same thing as then. Doesn't what happen in the past just reflect the person you are now? And if it doesn't, then what's to say that now is any better than then? You act as if what happened in the past doesn't matter, so then why chose to address it in the present if it's irrelevant?"

"I don't follow," I say in all honesty. _What was this girl getting at?_

"You tell me that what I did at the Gilberts' doesn't change your perception of me. But in reality, it does, right? Otherwise you wouldn't choose to confront me about it now…"

I pause before I answer as I try to gather my thoughts and not make things any worse, "…I felt that both, you and Callie, needed to confront each other about what happened, so that you two could move on from it. From my experience, it's always better to understand the entire picture, so that there aren't any surprises later. The situation needed to be addressed, Lux."

"Yeah, well, from my experience, sometimes it's actually better to leave the past alone, especially if the people trying to dig through it have no idea what they're digging for."

* * *

**Lux's POV**

I hadn't meant to say what I just said, but the fact that everyone was making me feel like some sort of monster for destroying the outside of Trey's house was getting beyond irritating to me.

_Yes, I spray painted his house._

_Yes, I got Callie and Jude kicked out._

_But no, I didn't regret it. _

I needed to push Valerie's buttons enough so that she would send me away. Telling her the truth about what Trey tried to do to me wasn't enough for her to let me go. After I had gotten out of the hospital, she still allowed me to come back into her home, even after she called me a liar to my face and took his side.

_FLASHBACK_

_Valerie pulls up into the driveway and glances in my direction, lifting my jaw up with her hand so that I could look into her eyes. "Look, I would really like this to work, Lux. Trey and I love you like you are our own daughter, so I' going to need you to stop with the lying. We want to keep you here with us, and we can't continue living like this if you don't try to help us make this work. We don't want to give up on you and we're not, so long as you promise to never accuse him of something like that again. You're going to have to learn to listen to him, okay? He is your father and he's willing to give you once last chance. If you love me and you want to make this work so that we can all be together as a family, you have to first start off with an apology, okay?"_

"_I'm sorry," I say as I let the tears flow down my eyes and try to take in her words. I did want to be with her and I wanted a family. But I knew that I would have to suffer some, in order to make that happen. But it would be worth it, right? I'd finally have her love back, and that'd be worth more than any pain that Trey would put me through. And who knows? Maybe after all of this, Trey wouldn't try that again…_

"_Thank you, Lux. I do appreciate that, but the person you need to apologize to is Trey." I cry even more when I realize what she really wants me to do, but she convinces herself that I'm just afraid to apologize. "I'll be right there with you, Lux. You don't have to do it alone."_

_I take a deep breath before wiping away my tears and getting out of the car. I take one look at the house and for once I feel like I'm having an out of body experience. I felt like I was standing somewhere else watching myself walk in, which helped me in a sense. _

_It wasn't me going into Trey's house, so it wasn't me that was risking getting hurt. I glance around the living room, and I can't help but wonder why for some reason the one place that I felt safe in, suddenly became the one place that I feared the most._

_Trey greets me from the couch in the living room, "Welcome back Lux," he says casually as he stares back at the television screen and takes a swig of his beer._

_I sit down on the couch across from him and notice the other girl and her brother who were sitting on the same couch as Trey._

"_Callie, Jude, can you two go set the table for dinner, please?" Valerie asks politely._

"_Sure. Come on, Jude," Callie says as she gets up and walks out of the living room._

"_Trey, Lux has something to tell you," Valerie says as she lowers the volume on the television._

"_What's up, Lux?" Trey asks as he stares at me with sudden interest. I knew that he would enjoy this, which just made the words that much harder to get out._

"_I'm sorry about what I did. I shouldn't have lost my temper and thrown the lamp at you. And I shouldn't have accused you of anything. I was stupid and I promise it won't happen again."_

_The gleam in his eyes and the smirk on his face sickens me but I do my best to bite my tongue. The worst part is over, right? He got what he wanted._

"_It was stupid," he agrees. "Next time, just do exactly as I say and no one has to get hurt. No apologies have to be given and definitely no hospital visits," he laughs as he stares at Valerie and Valerie smiles back at him._

_She places her hands over both of my shoulders from behind, "You see? That wasn't so hard, now, was it?" she asks me, and I try to fake a smile for her, but mainly for myself._

_END OF FLASHBACK_

"I'm sorry about that. I didn't mean it," I tell Lena after I realize that what I said had been rude.

"That's okay," Lena says as she starts to get up.

That was when Stef walked into the living room with a pile of clothes, "Here are some clothes for you to sleep in. There's a towel in the bathroom for you to shower. And it's getting pretty late, so I would head there now while there's still some hot water left," she smiles as she hands the clothes over to me.

"Okay," I answer, as I take the clothes and make my way over to the bathroom. As soon as I'm in there, I start to turn the knob of the bathtub all the way on hot.

I let the water from the faucet run through my fingers, completely aware of the pain that it was causing and was strangely relieved by it. Any type of pain was better than the memories of Valerie and Trey that were involuntarily filling my mind up until this moment.

Seconds later, I hear someone knock on the bathroom door, taking me out of the trance that I was in. I immediately shut off the water and open the door to find Jude standing outside of it.

"Hey. I'm sorry. I just really needed to use the bathroom," he says politely.

I nod and walk out. "Sure, I hadn't actually gotten in the shower yet, so knock yourself out," I answer.

"Thanks," he replies as he closes the door behind him, but I could tell that he probably had a problem with me too.

A few seconds later I hear my name coming from one of the bedroom doors, so out of curiosity, I slowly walk over toward it until the voices become clearer.

"What did you want me to do, Lena? Interrogate her on her very first night here?"

"Maybe?"

"Oh, come on. Why does what she did two years ago even matter now?"

"Because our daughter and our son are probably living in fear, thinking that they're going to be kicked out at any second. But all of a sudden that's not important to you…is it?"

"Oh please…"

"No, Stef. You can't just let her get away with those types of excuses."

"What kind of excuses? She admitted the truth, Lena. What more did you want from her?"

"She admitted the truth because she was backed into a corner, Stef. But she barely said anything at all after that. If you let her get away with not talking, she's never going to open up to any of us."

"And what? You think she's going to open up to us, if we question everything she's ever done?"

"It's a start."

"So, wait a minute… Let me get this straight… It's okay to bring up Lux's past and throw it back in her face, but it's not okay to do the same for any of our other kids?"

"No, that's not what I'm saying."

"Oh really? Because that's what it sounds like. Kids do stupid things all the time. I just don't understand how you, of all people, would blame Lux for this… But when it came to Callie destroying her last foster-dad's car that was okay. We didn't need to discuss that any further, did we?"

"That's completely different."

"How?"

"Because Callie is our daughter!"

Stef breathes in heavily.

"Stef, that's not what I meant," Lena tries to retract her statement.

"I know exactly what you meant, Lena…. But Lux is my kid, whether you like it or not and I won't have her belittled in this house. And, yes. That's exactly what you're doing."

When Jude opens the bathroom door, he stares at me and notices that I've been listening in on them but doesn't say anything about it, "Um…the bathroom's all yours."

I nod and walk back in, "Thanks."

I immediately turn the shower knob all the way and throw on my shoes. A few seconds later, I finally open the door again, silently hoping that no one is in the hallway anymore.

Luckily, it's empty. So I close the bathroom door behind me and tiptoe down the hallway and down the stairs, staring in all different directions before I open the front door.

_There was no way in hell that I was going to stay anywhere that I wasn't wanted, least of all in a place where I was going to be treated like a criminal. _I grab my jacket from the coat hanger before I make my way out and into the darkness...


	18. Chapter 18

**Stef's POV **_(A continuation of the conversation from last chapter)_

"Because Callie is our daughter!" Lena shouts as a reason as to why Callie should be given the benefit of the doubt, but Lux shouldn't.

I have to take a second to breathe so that I wouldn't say anything that I didn't mean out of anger.

"Stef, that's not what I meant," Lena tries to retract her statement. But she doesn't realize that it already struck a core.

"I know exactly what you meant, Lena…. But Lux is my kid, whether you like it or not, and I won't have her belittled in this house. And, yes. That's exactly what you're doing."

"That's not what I'm trying to do, Stef… I'm just trying to remind you, that neither of us know anything about this girl other than what she tells us."

"This girl? Okay…Wow!" I answer with astonishment. She was just digging herself deeper and deeper into the hole, and I couldn't understand why.

"I'm sorry... Lux," she corrects. "Stef, what I'm really trying to get at is you need to ask her more questions. Callie and Jude are living in this house too, and it's not fair to them that something like this had to happen in the first place. But you basically let it go un-discussed, because you let Lux get away with not even answering."

"I need to ask her more for more answers? Are you serious? …And what exactly are these questions you want me to ask Lena?" I cross my arms over my chest as I waited for her reply. I couldn't stand the fact that my wife, who's supposed to be on my side when it comes to our kids, suddenly felt the need to judge Lux off of one mistake she made when she was eleven or twelve-years-old. "…It seems to me like you're just looking for a reason to exclude her from this family and frankly, I don't understand it."

"Stef, do not even go there! That's the last thing I'm trying to do here! You're doing that all by yourself!" she yells as she begins to walk toward the door.

"Now, what the hell is that suppose to mean?" I ask. _How the hell am I trying to exclude her from my family?_

* * *

Lena whips around to finish her thought, "Stef, YOU are the parent here. It's not the other way around. And Lux needs to realize that sooner rather than later. And your behavior… isn't helping either."

"My behavior?" I ask with sudden interest but there's still anger in my tone, that I can't seem to lose no matter how many breaths I take during this conversation.

"Yes, your behavior. If you keep acting like you have been during dinner tonight or even half-hour ago when the question came up, she's going to think that she's the one calling the shots."

For a few seconds I try to take in what she's saying to me, but what Lena wasn't realizing was what I had been trying to do."…She just got here, Lena. I'm not going to ruin the little progress that I've made tonight, by asking her questions about what happened two years ago. She was finally opening up to me, Lena. She introduced me to her friends, invited me to her boyfriend's apartment, which she lied about at first but then admitted to it afterward, but that's besides the point that I'm trying to make here… We were getting along."

"Honey, I'm glad she's opening up to you, but there are other things at play here. Like, is she opening up to you because you're her mother or is she viewing you as her friend?"

"What the hell are you talking about, Lena?"

"During dinner, for instance, did you not notice how she just mentioned that she was going to her friend's house? She didn't even ask your permission, Stef." I sigh as I try to take in what my wife what telling me. "The kids noticed it too, and you said nothing. That's not how things work around here, and I don't want any of the other kids to get in the habit of doing the same thing. What's going to happen tomorrow if Mariana or Jesus just decide to just get up and leave in the middle of dinner without even telling us where they're going? Are you going to wave to them goodbye without asking what time they're coming back, where they're going, or who are they going with?"

"Of course not."

"Then, why are you doing it with Lux?"

"Don't you think this is hard for me too, Lena? Do you think it's easy to just figure out, that I have a fourteen-year-old daughter, who's been pretty much on her own her entire life, and then try to form some kind of relationship with her? A relationship that she doesn't even want! Do you really think that's easy?"

"I'm not saying that it is."

"And what about hearing that she's been living with her boyfriend, a drop out 17 year old kid with a tattoo of a spider-web on his neck? Or listening to him tell me that all he needs to do is say that he doesn't want me in her life, and I will never hear from her again? If that's not bad enough, Lux already told me that she hated me tonight." I sink down on our bed, when I realize that I still haven't forgotten the conversation Lux and I had in the car.

"What?" Lena asks as she sat down beside me and reached for my hand.

"She apologized. And she didn't use those exact words, but…we were talking in the car on our way to Bug's apartment, and I told her that our conversation was feeling one-sided, and she mentioned that she felt like I didn't care about her opinion, that I was trying to control her by telling her what school to go to, where she was going to stay, how she was going to get there—"

"So she was mad at you for trying to be her mother?" Lena asks.

"Basically…" I start to tear and immediately wipe them away with my hand and try to contain myself. "I just feel like I've been trying my best to accommodate her, by not hovering over her, but apparently she thought that I still was. So we both promised to make some sort of effort to make this work, and I feel like if I start asking her questions, telling her where she can and can't go, trying to control everything she does, I'm going back on my word… And I don't want her to hate me, Lena. That's not how I want to start our relationship." I start to cry even more once I realize that was my worst fear in all of this. I didn't want her to regret ever finding me.

Lena places her hand on my cheek and starts to wipe away the tears herself, "You're not going back on your word, Stef. Maybe this is the only way that you can make sure that you're keeping it. Did you ever think of that? The best way to show her that you're making an effort is to be honest with her. You need to tell her what you don't feel comfortable with because she's the kid… You know, unless you feel more comfortable with being her friend? Then, if that's the case—"

"No," I answer sternly even though I know that she was joking. She smiles back at me, and I know that she's right. But I didn't know how to try to parent someone who doesn't even want one.

"Then, you need to set some boundaries. She may not like them at first, but she'll get used to the idea eventually."

"And what if that backfires, huh? What if she just decides that this isn't something that she wants?"

"What would you tell Mariana if she asked you the same thing?" Lena asks and I suddenly realize what she's getting at. "…You can listen to what she has to say and take her opinion into consideration. But in the end, you need to do what you feel is right. Yes, she might hate you but…"

"She'll get over it," I finish for her. "God, I hate it when you're right," I mumble.

* * *

**Lux's POV**

Unfortunately for me, I decided to leave the house too late to catch a bus, because they all stopped running about an hour ago. So, I find the next best thing, a payphone. I had used it the first time I came to visit Stef and was relieved to find it still working. I immediately dial Gavin's number, knowing that it'd be the only way to reach Bug.

_The day that I needed to reach Bug and Gavin wasn't with him, I knew that I'd be completely screwed._

"Yello?" Gavin answers.

"Gavin, it's Lux. Can I talk to Bug?"

"Hey! Lux, nice to hear from you t—"

"Gavin!" I yell from annoyance. He must've known I was using a payphone, so I hated that we had to have this conversation every single time.

"It's for you," I hear Gavin say.

"Lux?"

"Bug, I need you to come get me."

"You need me to come get you?" he questions angrily. "You ditched us. Again… And now what? You need me to come get you like nothing's happened?"

"I didn't ditch you—"

"No? We put together a nice dinner for you, got all of our friends together, to celebrate YOUR birthday, and you just decide to just up and leave with your new mom? Like we meant nothing to you?"

"Bug, I'm sorry."

"I'm getting really tired of hearing your apologies Lux—"

"Bug, I left! Okay! And you don't have to worry about me going back, because they don't even want me there. So just, please come get me."

"Well, surprise, surprise," he answers sarcastically, but he doesn't realize how much his words really sting. "…Where are you?" he finally asks.

* * *

**Stef's POV**

_Is Lux seriously still in the shower?_ I wonder. It's been over forty-five minutes and I still hear the water running. I slowly walk over toward the door and knock on it lightly, "Lux, did you fall down the drain or something?" I ask, and Lena walks over toward me and laughs.

When I don't get an answer, I knock again, a little louder this time, but still nothing.

I stare at Lena for a second and the worried expression on her face just makes me even more nervous, so I twist the door-knob and peek my head through the door, "Lux, are you alright?" I yell.

_Silence._

I immediately open the door and after a split second hesitation I pull open the shower curtain and find it empty. I glance at the shower knob and notice that it was turned all the way to the left, which meant that it should've been scorching hot, but I felt that it was ice-cold. "Damnit!" I yell as I immediately shut off the running water and make my way downstairs and notice that her bag is gone from the couch, and so is her coat from the coatrack. "I'm going to kill her," I say as I raise my hand to my forehead and try to think of where she might go.

"Maybe she's at Mike's?" Lena suggests. "Why don't you just take a deep breath and call him."

I immediately take out my cellphone and search for Mike's number.

"Who are you going to kill?" Mariana asks as soon as she and Jude exit the kitchen.

"Have either of you seen Lux?" Lena asks.

"Not since dinner," Mariana answers. "Why?"

"She left," I answer.

"Maybe it…" Jude stops mid-sentence, "Never mind." I remove the phone from my ear once I notice that Jude might know something.

"What were you going to say, bud?" Lena asks his calmly.

"Well… I saw her listening in on you and Mom at your bedroom door. I was going to say something, but she acted as if nothing was wrong and she went back into the bathroom right after, so…"

"How long ago was that, Jude?" I ask him.

"Maybe 30 minutes. Or a little longer than that."

"Lena, I'm going to see if I can find her and call Mike."

"Go. I'll wait here in case she comes back. Call if you find her?"

"I will."

* * *

**Okay, so I wanted to use this chapter to focus mainly on Stef and Lena. I wasn't trying to make Lena sound like a biznatch before and hopefully she still doesn't. **

**But I did think that Stef needed this reality check. But I understand if some of you don't agree. Like I said, Lux and Callie are very similar but very different. Callie was used to being told what to do, so when her and Jude were brought into the Foster's home, they were very accepting of all of the rules. Lux on the other hand…not so much.**

**In Lux's own words from Life Unexpected, "I'm used to being told what to do. I'm just not used to caring enough to listen."**


	19. Chapter 19

**As always, I'm very grateful for all your reviews. Someone also mentioned how similar Lux's situation when she first arrived at the Fosters was similar to Callie's. When Callie first came to live with them, although Stef and Lena didn't flat-out accuse Callie of selling Jesus' pills at school, it was pretty obvious that they believed Kelsey over Callie. Now, the tables are turned and the moms (more specifically, Lena) believe Callie over Lux, which does show how long of a way Callie's relationship with the moms has grown. I liked that assimilation a lot, because I hadn't even realized I did that until a guest mentioned it to me, so kudos to you. I love how some of you teach me more about my story, than I even realize. It definitely helps with the writing process. All I can say is I have some very talented readers!**

**And thank you to everyone else who reviewed. It makes me feel better knowing that I'm not going completely off the rail with these characters :) I'm trying my best to stay IC (considering the circumstances that they're in). And this is a ridiculously long author's note so I'm going to stop now.**

* * *

**Lux's POV**

I had been waiting for Bug to show up for almost an hour, and I know that he's making me wait on purpose to teach me a lesson.

_He had to wait on me all of these days, so now I would have to wait on him._

But I couldn't help but be angered by this.

Yes, I screwed up by coming here in the first place, but why couldn't he realize that I was doing this for him, for Tasha, and for all of us.

They were the ones that convinced me to save up money and get emancipated.

It was Tasha's dream ever since her own mother dropped her off at Sunnyvale when she was 8. And we always promised to stick together. But the fact that she put so much pressure on me to do this right before her, and the fact that I tried to follow through, wasn't enough for them.

I hated that they blamed me for something that I had no control over. It wasn't my fault that these people ruined my plans.

I tried to make it work.

I stole the file from my caseworker's desk so that I could find my birth parents.

I walked in the heat that entire day and sat on buses next to smelly old people that didn't look or smell like they took a shower in weeks, just to find Stef's house.

And even when I realized that I she wasn't going to sign the form, I stole my entire file from the hospital to get my birth certificate so that I could forge their signatures.

I risked going to jail.

Now, all of a sudden, they think I'm not trying hard enough? That I've turned into someone else?

I drift out of my thoughts the second I hear Bug's motorcycle coming up the street. I immediately sit up from my place on the bench and stand next to the curb, waiting for him to pull up beside me. Once he finally does, he takes off his own hat-helmet and hands it over to me. "Thanks for making me wait," I respond as I take the helmet from him.

"Better late than never," he answers as I place the helmet over my head. He starts to tie it under my chin, but we both stop the second we see a car with their high beams on pull up right behind us.

"What the…?" he asks angrily, as we both try to cover our faces from the light blinding us. "Who the hell is that, Lux?"

* * *

**Stef's POV**

The second I drive up close enough to see Lux about to get in the back of some guy's motorbike, I pull up so quickly behind them, that my car shifts back and forth from the sudden stop. It was a miracle that my body didn't lunge out of the windshield.

I quickly open the car door so that I could get a better look at the guy. And I'm not sure whether the fact that it is Bug makes it better or worse. "Lux, take off that helmet and get back in the car," I order her, but she just stares at me behind squinted eyes as if I were insane. But her hesitation just pisses me off even more, "Now!"

"Yeah…" she says sarcastically. "I'm not going anywhere with you. Seriously? I'm going back to foster-care," she says as she tries to tie the helmet under her chin herself.

"Wanna bet?" I ask as I loosen the strings from the helmet and take it off of her, tossing it over to Bug, who catches it but then lets it fall onto the ground. I keep my eyes on him as I grab Lux by the arm to bring her over toward the car.

She tries to pull away from my grip, "Hey! Get off of me!"

But my grip was tighter than hers and both of us knew it. I suddenly remembered the first time I grabbed her by her arm when I was leading her out of my house. I remembered letting go of her once I realized that I might be hurting her, but this time I wouldn't release her, because I knew she would just run from me. Even though I didn't want to have to grab hold of her like this, she was leaving me with no other choice. I stop walking and stare at her trying to release my fingers from around her arm. "I'll let you go, if you get in the car," I offer her sternly.

"What? That makes no sense," she answers as she tries to pull her arm away again.

"Fine, have it your way," I say as I start to reach for the backseat door.

Before I'm able to open it all the way, I hear Bug's voice, "You can't do that, you crazy bitch! Get off of her!"

But the second I feel Bug's hand reach for my shoulder, I let go of Lux and grab the back of Bug's arm and shove him up against the car. I start to reach for my cuffs, that I was suddenly grateful for bringing with me, and I toss them around both of his wrists. "You… are under arrest for assaulting a police officer. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law—"

"Stop it! Let go of him!" Lux yells as she attempts to reach out for my arm to pull me away. But before she does, she comes to a halt the second she sees me glaring at her and eyebrows raised.

"Think very carefully before you decide to do that, my friend," I warn her. I glance back at her boyfriend and continue reading him his rights, "…You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand the rights I have just read to you?"

"Please Stef, just let him go. He didn't mean it," Lux pleads, and I could tell she was on the verge of crying. Just as I was about to calm down, Bug opens his mouth.

"Of course I meant it, Lux!" Bug argues. "Stop giving this bitch what she wants."

"Bug! For once, just shut up! You're seventeen now. You'll probably go to jail. Real jail. Not juvie this time."

The fact that I now know, this kid has been in juvie just puts me even more on edge. My list of dislikes about him was growing larger and larger by the second. Bug stares at Lux with anger and then glances at me. Apparently the sight of me just gives him more ammunition to keep going, "So what are you going to do? You're going to just let her push you around tell you what to do, when she doesn't even want you?" My nostrils flare up, as I have to listen to Bug speak about something he doesn't even understand to begin with. "She's just another dumb cop that gets off on having another person to order around… That's not you, Lux. You don't have to listen to her. She's just using this as a tactic to get what she wants," he answers angrily as he stares right at me challengingly.

I eventually get annoyed with his comments, "Call it whatever you want. Either way Lux, you're getting into that car. Now we can do this the easy way, with you getting in voluntarily and Bug getting to go back to… wherever. Or the hard way, with me dragging you in and dropping him off at the station. Your choice?"

Lux glares at me with piercing eyes and her arms crossed over her chest. I could already sense tell that she hated me right now, but Lena was right. I was her mother and she could hate me all she wanted, but there was no way in hell I was about to let her go ride off with BUG on his motorcycle, and she had to know that.

"Well, what's it going to be?" I try to rush her answer, letting her know that the decision shouldn't be that difficult. She glares at me once more before walking over to the other side of the door and snapping the handle open. Two seconds later I hear the car door slam shut so hard, that I'm almost sure she put a dent in it.

I let out a deep breath as I try to contain myself and not go off. As I had promised, I start to release the cuffs off of his wrist. Bug turns around quickly and looks at me, "You want her. You can have her. Tell her that I'm done with putting up with this crap."

I watch him as he walks back over toward his Bike and picks up his helmet from the floor. He doesn't even bothering glancing over at Lux before he starts his bike and takes off at full speed.

I shake my head as I start to walk back over toward the car and open the door. I'm not surprised when she doesn't so much as glance in my direction or acknowledge that I got in at all.

If she didn't want to talk, I wasn't going to make her this time. This wasn't something that was open for discussion anyway.

* * *

**Question:**

**Should we ditch Bug now? I intend to ditch him eventually, because I already have someone else in mind for her (And NO, not any of her brothers). But someone that will bring A LOT more drama than Bug (if you guys remember Life Unexpected Season 2, you know exactly who I'm talking about).**

**Basically, what I'm asking is… Does Bug need to disappear so that Lux could somehow get along with this family? Let me know your thoughts please…**


	20. Chapter 20

**Stef's POV**

The second I got back into the car I called Mike and Lena to let them know that I found Lux and she was okay. Mike wasn't too happy with me, for in his words, "losing her" but we agreed to talk at the twenty-four hour diner nearby. I couldn't get the fact that Lux still hadn't eaten anything all day, since I picked her up at school, and it was almost eleven at night now. _That was just something else I'd probably hear from Mike about._

By the time I pull up into the diner's parking lot, I hear Lux's voice. "What are we doing here?" she asks harshly.

"Well, if you don't want to eat anything we cook for you, you're going to have to eat something someone else cooks."

"You can't force me to eat, Stefanie. I'm not a child."

"Oh, so you're back to calling me Stefanie, I see… And you could've fooled me. You're certainly acting like one."

"Well, it's your name. Isn't it?" she retorts. "And personally I don't care what you think of me."

"Good to know. And yes, that is my name. But I would prefer it if you called me… Stef," I say awkwardly, not really wanting her to call me that either, but I figured I wouldn't push it.

"Yeah, well I would prefer it if you and Mike sign the damn form like I asked you to and stay out of my life."

"Hey!" I snap at her causing her to jump in her seat. I hadn't meant to scare her but the fact that she kept bringing up this form, as if she could actually get me to sign it, was really beginning to piss me off right about now. "I don't want to hear another mention of this form again. Okay? I'm not signing it, so your best bet is to just drop it. Understood?"

"Why not?" she argues and I have to glance away from her, to keep from flipping out again. For someone who showed so much sign of fear, I didn't understand why she was still pushing this form on me. "It'll take two freaking seconds—"

"Lux—"

"It's not like you even expected to have a kid in the first place! And it's not like I'll even be your kid, like ever. I don't understand why it's so damn difficult for you to put your signature on a piece of paper! You write it all the time when you're handing out parking tickets! Just pretend you're writing a stupid parking ticket!"

"That's enough!" I snap. I couldn't understand why she thought signing a parking ticket and signing away my rights was the same thing.

Lux lets out a frustrated breath and folds her arms again over her body and sinks back into her seat. Just as I thought she was going to drop the subject, she opens her mouth again. But she isn't yelling anymore which is some progress, "…It's not like your family even likes me one bit. Your wife doesn't even want me in your freaking house."

"Oh my God," I mumble as I raise my hands to my head, because I felt a huge migraine coming on. But she keeps talking and I have to suck in a breath to keep from yelling back.

"And you know what? Lena's absolutely right. Your kids feel unsafe. And they should feel that way… You have no idea what I'm really capable of... If you won't do it for me, then do it for your family. Maybe you should stop being such a selfish bitch for a second and think about them."

* * *

I have to force myself out of the car, so that I wouldn't do anything stupid. Something Lena had taught me to do, that I'd try to do every so often when I felt like I was getting really riled up or about to do or say something stupid. Because every single thing, that she was saying to me was really starting to strike a nerve. I hear her grunt with frustration, but then I can tell she decides to stay quiet.

Luckily, when I get out of the car, I can see Mike getting out of his. "Mike, I don't think I can do this."

"Do what?" he asks in confusion. "Where is she?"

"She's fine. She's in the car. It's me that feels like I'm seconds away from losing my mind."

"Well, how can you lose her in the first place, Stef?"

"How could I lose her?" I ask in disbelief. "Are you seriously blaming me?"

"Well, she didn't runaway when she was with me," Mike says matter-of-factly. I try to keep myself calm once again. "Something must've happened…" he says accusingly.

I sigh as I try to accept the fact that this was probably my fault, "…Lena and I found out that Callie, Jude, and Lux all lived in the same foster home a couple of years ago…"

"Sounds wonderful," Mike responds sarcastically. "Keep going."

I stare at him and resist the urge to punch him in the face, "And it appears that Lux spray painted the outside of the house and got them all kicked out."

"And what you heard this from Callie and Jude? How do you know that they're not lying?"

"Because they wouldn't lie about something like this! And Lux admitted to it," I answer harshly.

"She admitted to it?" he asks in disbelief.

"Yes."

"So, that's why she left?"

"Not exactly…" I stare up at Mike and could see him waiting for me to continue. I take a deep breath before I do, knowing that there was a chance he'd use it against me. "…It appears that she overheard Lena and I talking and Lena might've mentioned that Callie and Jude didn't feel safe, but only because she was looking out for their best interest—"

"So… Basically, you all ganged up on her, took your other kid's side, and then called her a threat to your safety. And you were surprised when she decided to run away? Unbelievable," he responds with and obviously judgmental tone.

"Mike, I didn't take anyone's side," I try to correct.

"I knew her staying with you tonight was a bad idea. This was my fault. I should've said no," he answers as he shakes his head slightly.

"Excuse me?" I ask in disbelief. "You act as if you had a choice."

"I absolutely do! Lux isn't Brandon, Stef. You can't threaten me here with having full custody of her, like you do with our son. I get just as much a say as you do about what she does, if not more."

"More?"

"Yes, more! It's not my fault that you and hippie dippy Lena decided to take on five kids basically all on your own, and I've said pretty much nothing about it, because I knew that Brandon would be better off with you ten years ago. But now… things have changed. I don't drink anymore…. And you're obviously too busy and too involved in your other children's lives to take on Lux. And frankly, I don't think it's a good idea to keep her somewhere that she feels uncomfortable… and the other kids feel uncomfortable apparently. And not to mention Lena..."

"Lena was just trying to help, Mike."

"Call it what you want, Stef. But if Lux doesn't want to be around her then…"

"Then, what? You think you can just keep her away from all of us… and that's just going to magically solve everything?"

"I'm trying to do what's best for her in the situation. And what's best for her isn't to be around people who treat her like a damn criminal for God's sake. Your other kid went to juvie if I recall, but Lux is the problem here?"

"Of course not!"

"Then, why is she being treated like it? …You know what? Just forget it," Mike says as he starts to walk away from me to get to the other side of the car.

* * *

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I ask him, which causes him to turn around.

"I'm taking her home, my home. Let's not argue about this any more, Stef."

"So, what? You get to be the hero here…Again. And I have to look like the bad guy?"

"I'm not saying that."

"...Well, that's how it feels."

"You made it this way, Stef. Not me," Mike says as he opens the car door on Lux's side. And I'm forced to shut my mouth and not reveal what I really want to say to him, "Come on, Lux."

Lux gets out of the car and doesn't even bother to look at me as she stands beside him. "Wait…where are we going?"

"Home," he answers as he puts his hand on her shoulder, but she flinches away, which catches us both off guard. Suddenly, the argument Mike and I had just a few seconds ago didn't seem that important anymore.

"Can we just go?" she snaps as she starts walking over toward his car and slams his car door shut just as hard as she slammed mine earlier when I forced her to get in.

* * *

"Well… she's in a lovely mood isn't she?" Mike says as he closes my passenger-side door and starts to walk away.

"Make sure she eats something," I tell him.

He looks at me in confusion, "I thought she had dinner at your house?"

"She did. But she barely ate anything. Lena made lasagna and—"

"Lux doesn't eat meat," Mike says in disbelief.

"Why, thank you for telling me that now… You know… After we tried to give it to her. I really appreciate it," I answer sarcastically.

He smiles, "I guess I could've mentioned it yesterday."

"What?" I ask angrily as I notice him smiling a little too much for me to see in my mood.

"Nothing," he says as he tries to brush it off, but I can see him still trying to hide his smile.

"What is it?" I ask out of irritation. _What the hell could he be smiling about at this moment? Was he really taking joy out of my constant mistakes?_

He looks at me before he continues, "…I ordered Lux a burger at the burger place and she looked at me as if I were the devil or something. Gave me a huge lecture about the horrible conditions that cattle are put through before they're slaughtered just so that people like me can eat." He laughs and suddenly I don't feel as bad. _It was good to know that I wasn't the only one Lux was giving a hard time to._ "It's okay You can gloat now… She got even angrier when I continued to eat my burger. Even called me a disgusting pig."

"Ouch," I laugh.

"So, you see? You're not the only one screwing up here… And I'm sorry made you feel that way. It's just… I don't want to be a half-ass dad this time around." I can see the smile quickly fade from his face.

"You're not—"

"Aren't I? How often did I screw up with Brandon growing up? He probably still thinks of me as the drunk guy who skipped out on his entire childhood. I just… I feel like I have a chance to do things right with Lux, to be that dad I should've been for Brandon. You know? She doesn't know about my drinking…my failures."

"You're not a failure, Mike."

"I know that now. But to be honest, I still feel like that with Brandon… Stef, he remembers things that I don't. And I know I should've done more for him than I've done in the past. I just have so many regrets. And I know I'll never do enough to make it up to him... And it's even worse now, since I've known Lux even less than that. And, it feels like a completely blank slate, like a new start for me, to be that guy I should've been before. I just don't want her to get away again, before I actually get a chance to be in her life."

"She won't. We'll make sure of that… But that doesn't mean that you have to throw me under the bus either. You can still be that guy with me around."

"I'm not thr—"

I stare at him and I can tell that he realizes that I was right. "I know that you want to be there for her. I really do… But I feel like she sees us as good cop bad cop. I yell at her and you come and rescue her from me and suddenly you make everything okay… And that's not how I want it to be, Mike. I've agreed to let her live with you, Mike. All I wanted was for her to meet Lena and the kids. I want her to be a part of my family too."

"And I'm trying, Stef. I agreed to let her stay over your house today, even though I knew it was a bad idea…"

"Are we still fighting here, or are we trying to make this crappy situation better? Because I gotta tell you, it feels like we're still fighting."

"We're not fighting… Why don't I park the car and… we'll continue to make this crappy situation better over some food?" Mike offers.

"Are you sure about that Mike? I don't think it'd be a good idea to continue arguing in front of Lux. That's one thing she doesn't need to see."

"We won't… In fact, I'll order another burger, and you can play good cop for a change," he smiles and I can't help but smile too.

"You're offer is so tempting. And I would like to see that."

"Then, maybe you should take it before you change your mind."

I take a deep breath before I agree, "…Okay."

"Okay?" Mike asks skeptically.

"Uhuh," I smile.

"Alright, well I'll go break the bad news to Lux," Mike says as he starts walking over to his car.


	21. Chapter 21

**As always, thanks for reviewing/following etc. We're almost at 500 reviews. That's insane.**

* * *

**Lux's POV**

I watch as Mike walks over to the car and I suddenly feel relieved when I can tell we're leaving. But instead of driving out of the parking-lot of the diner, he parks his car.

"What-What are you doing?" I ask him immediately.

"Your mother said you haven't eaten so—"

"Okay, first of all, she's not my mother," I correct him.

"Really? Because the DNA test you took the other day proved otherwise."

"So what? She gave birth to me fourteen years ago. That doesn't all of a sudden make her my mother and give her the right to tell me what to do."

"Actually, that's exactly what it does."

"So, wait a minute… You're seriously taking her side right now? Wow!"

"I'm not taking anyone's side."

"Yeah, okay…" I respond sarcastically.

_I hated these people. _

_Out of all the crappy foster-homes I'd been in all my life, I have never felt that any of those parents ever wanted to change me as much as my own did._

_It didn't make sense._

_I knew that those other parents in those other homes didn't care about what I wanted._

_But I figured that if I ever actually got them…they would._

I glance back at the entrance of the diner and can see Stef standing there, staring in our direction waiting for us, "I'm not going, if she's going, Mike."

Mike pulls the lever of his seat back so that he could have more room to lie down. He folds his hands over his stomach and closes his eyes as if he were going to sleep.

"What are you doing?" I ask in an annoyed voice.

"Sleeping... Unless you're ready to go into the diner?" he says with one eye open.

"I'm not even hungry… And don't think I don't get what you two are trying to do. I'm fourteen, not stupid."

"Uhuh. What are we trying to do?" Mike asks as if he hadn't a clue, which just pisses me off even more.

"If your goal here is to get me to miraculously like her over some boring conversation and some food, it's not going to happen," I tell him sternly. "I'm not even so sure I like you anymore, to be honest," I mumble.

"You don't have to like either of us. Hell, you don't even have to talk to us for the rest of the night, but you're going to have to eat something before we go—"

"To your apartment," I finish for him. I didn't want him using the word home, especially when he included me in the same sentence.

_I have a home._

_One that didn't include either of these people, and there was no way in hell that would change._

"Yes, so what's it going to be, Lux? Are we sleeping in the car tonight or what?" he laughs, as if his pathetic excuse of a joke was the least bit funny.

* * *

I start opening the car door and give him one hard glare before I slam it shut, just to remind him again that I wasn't happy with this.

"Cars are not toys!" I hear Mike yell, when he gets out of the car. But I'm practically all the way at the entrance of the diner.

I can feel Stef's eyes watching me as I walked inside, but I make sure not to look up at her.

_Mike said I didn't have to talk, so I wasn't going to._

I stare at the hostess, "Table for one please," I say flatly.

_Mike said nothing about having to eat with them._

_All he said was that I had to eat._

"She meant three," Mike says loudly, and I roll my eyes, but keep my mouth shut.

_I would go along with whatever he said for now._

_By tomorrow, I knew I would never have to look at either of them again._

The hostess appears nervous before she responds, "…Sure. Right this way."

I follow her closely and don't even bother to check if Stef and Mike were following behind me.

The hostess stops at a booth and places three menus on the table. I stupidly sat on the side of booth where the woman placed only one menu, assuming that having either of them sitting beside me would be most aggravating.

But when I glance up and see them both sitting directly across from me, I wanted to crack my head on the table for not thinking about that.

"Your waitress will be right with you," the woman says as she walks away.

I silently beg the random woman to stay with my eyes, but she apparently doesn't get the hint.

"So, what are you in the mood for?" Mike asks and I pretend that he's talking to Stef. Because the last time I checked, he said I didn't have to say a word if I didn't want to.

I keep my focused on the stupid menu, making sure to read every single word on it so that I don't have to actually look up at their faces.

"Lux?" Mike says.

"You specifically said that I wouldn't have to talk to you, so this is me, not talking to you," I answer flatly without meeting his gaze.

"But you still have to eat... And the faster you eat, the faster we can get out of here. You want to get out of here, don't you?"

He did have a point, but I didn't want to be here in the first place.

I knew calling Bug to come pick me up wasn't an option anymore. He was pretty pissed off when I decided to get into Stef's car before.

"What about pizza? Should I order us a pie? And don't tell me you don't eat pizza either, because you ordered some last night."

"Fine. Whatever," I answer not wanting him to continue talking to me. _This better be the end of the conversation._

"Alright."

The waitress comes up to us, "Hi. My name is Tammy. What can I get you all?"

I hear Mike's voice and manage to drown it out with my thoughts as he answers the woman.

_God, how I hated all of their voices already! Every single one of them._

I'm taken out of my head at the sound of Stef calling my name, "Lux?"

"What?" I snap.

I can tell she looks agitated by her tightened lips and tense posture, but she doesn't say anything. Instead she looks at Mike for assistance.

"What would you like to drink?" Mike asks.

"Water," I answer, pronouncing the T harshly.

These constant questions that required answers were really beginning to really piss me off, regardless of how innocent they sounded.

I hear the waitress walk away and she practically has to pry the menu out of my hands. It was awkward times like these that made me wish I had a phone.

We sit in silence for a few seconds until Mike decides to open his big mouth, "Alright, Lux. This is what's going to happen. You're going to have to give us a break. Running away like that was a very stupid thing to do—"

"Running away? What am I, like 5? I was going home, hardly call it running away."

"Well, according to law it is."

"So, what? Are you going to throw the law at me every time I leave one of your stupid houses? Threaten to arrest me again if I don't? Seriously? You two are pathetic."

"That's enough!" Mike snaps and part of me is resisting the urge to take my chances and run from the two of them right now.

_Screw the fact that they're cops. I was planning on leaving anyway. But the other part knows that the doors at the entrance would probably slow me down, and they'd catch me, which would probably make things ten times worse. _

"We have really had it with your behavior, Lux. You don't speak to us that way, least of all your mother," Mike tries to defend again.

"Whatever," I answer as I watch the waitress bring my glass of water with ice.

"Whatever?" Mike repeats and I can see the anger that I've brought to him in his eyes. Part of me wants to piss him off even more, so that he'd try to hit me or something. Then, I wouldn't feel bad about going to Fern and telling her that I needed another placement.

Stef jumps into the conversation, "What Mike is trying to say is that we are both trying to make this work, and the only way that's going to happen is if we're all trying. Not just Mike and me."

"Here we go with this again," I interrupt her. "Are you freaking kidding me? You two were the ones trying to make this work? Seriously, that's how you see it?"

"Yes," Mike answers. "You don't?"

"Nope. And you know what? I don't even care… It doesn't even matter," I mumble as I take a drink of water.

"What the hell does that mean?" Stef asks.

"Exactly what I said… It. Doesn't. Matter." I answer and I start to stand up.

"Where do you think you're going?" Mikes asks.

"What did I just say," I answer back as I walk down the hallway toward the bathroom.

The second I close the door behind me I'm almost relieved that I can finally get a second to myself. I rush to one of the sinks in the bathroom and look up at the mirror above it, to see my reflection.

I'm actually surprised when I see myself, because now I'm forced to believe that this is really happening. No matter how many times I try to blink myself awake it doesn't work, and I know that I'm not dreaming.

A minute or two later I hear the bathroom door open, and I quickly turn on the sink when I see Stef come in. I turned it on all the way so that I wouldn't have to listen to her if she tried to speak to me.

* * *

**Stef's POV**

I tried to wait patiently outside of the bathroom for as long as I could, but the thought of there being a window in there made me panic, so I made my way inside and accepted my possible consequence. I knew that she'd probably make some smart remark or call be another name, but at this point I didn't care. Just making sure that she was in there was the most important thing right now.

Surprisingly, I don't catch her trying to escape through the window. Not that she'd actually be able to, now that I notice that they were really small and definitely too high for her to reach. But the fact that she isn't trying to reach them anyway should be a good sign.

I watch her as she quickly turns on the sink and washes her hands the second she sees me, as if I hadn't caught her staring at herself in the mirror.

I can tell that something's really bothering her by the way she's washing her hands. For one, she's not even using soap and only has the knob of the hot water turned on so high that her hands are turning bright red.

She turns around to look at me with an annoyed expression on her face, "Do you want something?"

"Um," I start awkwardly, not wanting to say the wrong thing. And I quickly snap out of it and walk over to the closest sink, "No, I just came to wash my hands."

I turn on the water and press the soap dispenser and begin to scrub my hands together quickly, so I'm not staring at her awkwardly. A few seconds later I turn off the water and grab a paper towel from the dispenser to dry my hands.

By the time I glance back up I can see her still staring at her hands running under the faucet.

I watch as the steam rises up from the sink and part of me wants to run over and shut off the water. It must've been really hot for her hands to turn as red as they did, but I didn't want to overreact again. I grab another paper towel and walk over to her, hoping that she'd remove her hands on her own if I handed her one, "Are you okay, Sweets?" I ask her.

She raises her right hand up to push the soap dispenser and brings her hand right back toward the water, "I'm fine... And can you stop calling me that?"

Her question takes me by surprise. None of my other kids ever minded when I used endearing words to speak to them. Not even when I first met them did they ever say anything negative about it.

"Do you preferred to be called something else?" I ask.

"Yeah. My name maybe?" she says as she walks over to the paper towel dispenser and grabs one, completely ignoring the one I had held out for her on purpose.

"You know what?" I start. "That's fine. I'll call you by your name, if you promise not to ever call me another bad one again?" I offer. She gives me a dirty look again before she opens the door and walks out, completely ignoring my offer.

_Great… This is just great_, I think to myself.

* * *

**So, I need a nickname for Lux. All of the kids have one or two (except Jesus, I think). Ideas for nicknames would be appreciated :) I'm completely blank right now.**

**Also, do you guys want me to continue the next chapter with the rest of the diner scene or do you want me to skip to the next day already?**

**P.S. I should be updating my other fic, Unwritten, tonight. In a few hours or so :)**


	22. Chapter 22

**Stef's POV**

I take a deep breath and try to pull my thoughts together before I walk out of the bathroom. This outing wasn't going to do either of us any good, if we just kept arguing with the girl.

She was just as stubborn as we were, if not more.

Lux's words kept repeating in my head, _It. Doesn't. Matter._

I knew that she was probably planning on leaving again, and that's why she thought our problems were irrelevant to her. She didn't care about what we were saying to her tonight, because she assumed it'd be the last time she'd ever see us.

So, I knew I had to do something to save this outing, and I had to do it fast.

* * *

By the time I walk back toward the table, I see Lux and Mike both sitting in silence. Mike was watching me as I walked back and Lux was sitting with her legs laid out on top of the booth, her back against the wall, and her arms crossed over her chest. She glanced at me quickly once she saw I was coming and then looked over at the window in the same direction, as if she hadn't seen me at all.

As soon as I sit down beside Mike, I knock my knuckles gently on the table two times. "Sit up for me, love," I tell her nicely, as if it were more of a question than a request. I didn't want her to think that I was really trying to control her. I knew that playing the bad cop all of the time would only push her away even more. But my wife was right. I had to be honest with her and I had to be honest with myself.

And there was no way in hell, I would let her ride around on the back of some drop out's motorcycle with a criminal-record and his own apartment.

She was fourteen.

Point blank.

* * *

She looks at me strangely for a second as if she has no inclination to sit up.

"Please," I add, in the softest voice I could muster. I needed to show her that she had some control, very little, but some. And in order to do that, I had to show my vulnerability a bit, even though I really didn't want to. _How could I ask her to do the same, if I wasn't willing to do it myself?_

I watch her as she sits up reluctantly, and I give Mike a look so that he'd hopefully catch onto what I was trying to do. By the look on his face, I'm not sure he actually does. But I just hope that he'd be smart enough to let me take the lead.

"Okay…" I start awkwardly as I fold my two hands over each other on the table, "We have some things to talk about, obviously…" I pause and wait for Lux to contribute to the conversation, but not surprisingly she doesn't. _I suddenly want to slap Mike for telling her that she didn't have to say a word once we got inside, if she didn't want to._ "And well, first and foremost, I'm sorry about what you heard Lena say earlier. She didn't—"

"I honestly don't care," she interrupts, while quickly shrugging her shoulders and taking a sip from her water.

"Let me finish," I continue sternly, causing her to look up at me with both eyes in bewilderment, "…Lena didn't mean anything by it. She was just upset because Callie and Jude—"

"Don't feel safe," Lux finishes for me. "Yeah, I got it. Which is exactly why you should sign the—"

"Do not say sign the paper, Lux. I specifically told you not to ask me that again, remember?" I ask sternly. I hated that she kept mentioning it and I hated myself for promising to sign it before I knew the truth.

"I didn't ask you. I'm just—"

"Suggesting it. Yeah, I know… But I already told you that your father and I weren't going to sign them, yes?" I ask her as I raise my eyebrows, so that she'd get the message.

She lets out a frustrated sigh and crosses her arms over her body again, a typical defense position for her.

* * *

I run my fingers through my hair as I try to muster the words to continue, "Look, honey, I know that you are not used to being told what to do… And I can imagine how difficult it is, to suddenly wake up one morning and have two new people in your life, who are trying to do their best to parent you… But we are only trying to do what we think is best for you…" I pause when I see Lux roll her eyes. _She wasn't going to make this easy for me and I knew it._

"What's wrong?" Mike asks in an annoyed voice, and I pat my hand on his knee under the table so that he would stop talking. I needed him to realize that she might feel threatened if we both were arguing with her at the same time. I was trying so hard to diffuse the situation, and I knew that Mike's attitude would only make things worse.

"What's best for me is to be with Tasha and Bug," she answers matter-of-factly.

I nod my head, "Lux, I know that you care about them very much—"

"They're my family," she says without a second thought.

"And we're not trying to take them from you," I assure her. "We wouldn't dream of doing that, because we know how much they mean to you—"

She shakes her head slightly, as if she didn't believe a word I was telling her, "Then, why were you trying to arrest Bug for no reason?"

"He put his hands on me, Lux. It's what I'm trained to do," I try to explain.

"He only put his hands on you, because you put your hands on me first!" she snaps. "Is that something else they teach you in the academy?" she asks rhetorically.

I take a deep breath before I continue, in an effort to calm my nerves. I couldn't let her get me worked up, and it was getting harder and harder to control my emotions when it came to her comments. "I'm sorry about that, Lux. I really am. I'm sorry about Bug too, and I have no problem telling him that, okay? …I just completely lost it when I saw you about to get on the back on his bike, with all the motorcycle-accident scenes that I get called to at work, I just—"

"Hold on," Mike said with both confusion and anger evident in his voice, as he put his hand in the air to keep me from talking.

"Mike—" I tried to stop him.

"You were going to get on the back of some kid's motorcycle?" Mike asks Lux accusingly.

"Bug isn't just some kid. He's my boyfriend. And it's not like I haven't been on it a thousand times before. Bug is a very good driver."

I bang my knee against Mike's so that he wouldn't make the same mistake I made earlier. Now that I had time to think about it, I've calmed down some, but I knew that Mike would probably say something stupid if I didn't put a stop to it.

"He may be a very good driver, Lux, but after going to a bunch of motorcycle-accident scenes in my line of work, being a good driver can have nothing to do with it. And when I saw you about to get in back of one, I just… well it worried me—"

"But why?" she asks as if she really had no idea.

* * *

I pause awkwardly, as I start to move my fingers around my coffee mug, a nervous habit that I've had for a while now. I just didn't understand why her two-word question would cause for such a heart-sinking inner reaction from me.

_Did she really believe that we would be going through all of this, if we didn't really care?_

"Because we care about you, Lux," Mike answers as if he had read my mind. And fo once, I'm suddenly grateful for his intervention, because I felt my throat dry up.

"You two just met me," she says skeptically.

"So we can't care?" Mike asks rhetorically.

But Lux doesn't realize that she's not supposed to answer the question. "No... It's weird," she says flatly.

Mike and I both have to laugh at her honesty and it catches her off guard.

"What's so funny?" she asks in confusion, as she gives us a flattened expression.

I smile at her, trying to come off as non-threatening as possible, "The fact that you think it's weird that we care about our own daughter…"

I watch as her body becomes tense and she gazes away from us, and I knew that what I said made her feel uncomfortable for some reason, which was the complete opposite of what I wanted to do.

* * *

So I try to get back on track with the entire purpose of this outing, "So… Mike and me don't want you to feel like we're trying to control everything you do, and I know that after being on your own for so long it might feel that way now. But… whether you want to admit it or not, you're fourteen, Lux."

"So?"

"So, that's really young," I answer making an emphasis on the really. "Too young to be living on your own or living with your boyfriend for that matter. Come on," I answer obviously.

"Who said anything about living with her boyfriend?" Mike asks.

"Mike," I warn again, but I can see how Lux is looking at him, with a slight sign of fear in her eyes, and I take that as a good thing. "What we are trying to say is that we know that you have been living a… different kind of lifestyle, an unhealthy one, considering your age... and we're just trying to—"

"Change it?" Lux asks in an annoyed voice.

"In the best possible way," I add. "We understand that this is going to be difficult for you, but considering the circumstances we would really appreciate it if you worked with us on it. We know that there will be objections and we're willing to listen to what you have to say, and we want to… but in the end you are—"

"Fourteen," Mike finishes and I can tell that he is still struggling to get passed everything he had just heard about, and I knew that it was upsetting him even more than it had upset me. He was always more strict about everything than Lena and I were when it came to parenting Brandon, so I knew it would be even harder for him, when it came down to Lux.

"I was going to say our daughter. But yes, Lux you are fourteen, as we've discussed," I say as I give Mike a 'duh-we-went-over-that-look.'

"So…" I direct Lux's eyes back toward me. "What we need to hear from you is, that you're willing to make this work, despite how hard things may get… And that means not asking us to sign the papers, not running away, not giving us an attitude every time we say something to you, and most importantly, we need you to stop fighting us on everything. We need you to put your guard down just a little, sweets…" I stop when I realize that I had screwed up again. "I'm sorry… Lux," I correct, letting her know that it was going to take a while for me to break the habit of using that word to refer to one of my daughters.

She lets out a small laugh, which catches Mike and me by surprise, "Okay… I mean, I guess I can try."


	23. Chapter 23

**Lena's POV **

Just as I drop the laundry basket onto my bed, I hear a knock on my bedroom door. Intuitively, I already know that it was either Callie or Jude. Stef wouldn't have bothered knocking and the other kids' knocks are usually much louder… unless they were in trouble for something.

"Come in," I offer as I start to fold the clothes and take a seat on my bed. The second I glance up, I see Callie's body slowly entering the room and I could tell by her expression that she was worried about something, "What's up?" I ask her in the most upbeat way that the situation would allow.

She glances around the room as if she was looking for someone and then stares down at that ground.

"Is something bothering you, bug?" I ask her, and she lifts up her head to meet my gaze. After a slight hesitation, she barely nods her head yes. "Come on in," I wave her forward and stop folding the clothes.

She walks inside and slowly closes the door behind her, and I know that if it's something she doesn't want anyone overhearing, that it can't be good.

I pat the bed so that she could sit and reluctantly she does, but doesn't say anything, so I know that I should probably lead the conversation, "Do you want to talk about —"

Before I'm able to finish the question, she opens her mouth, "Is Stef going to be mad at me?"

"What?" I ask in confusion.

"…For Lux running away… I knew I shouldn't have said anything," she says as she shakes her head and her gaze moves toward the floor.

"No, honey, that wasn't your fault," I try to tell her as I offer her a smile. It was a forced smile because I had my own guilt eating me up.

"Of course it was," she answers in disbelief. "One second she was fine and the next she was gone."

"No, that was… if anyone's to blame than it'd probably be me. Not you."

"What? If I would've never told you then—"

"She left because of something I said, Callie."

"What did you say?"

I take a deep breath before answering, "…I said something without thinking. I mentioned the fact that you and Jude didn't feel safe with Lux being here to your mom, and it seems as if Lux overheard and left… So this is not your fault," I reassure her again.

"So, wait…that's why she left?" Callie asks in a surprised tone.

"Yes... Why?"

Callie looks away from me as if she was trying to mentally assess the situation in her head. "No, it's nothing," she tries to answer, hoping that I'd believe her. Meanwhile, I can tell that she has a thousand thoughts running though her mind.

"Are you sure it's nothing?" I ask unconvinced.

"Yeah," she answers, and I decide to let it go for now. If it wasn't something she wanted to talk about, I didn't want to push her, regardless of how curious I was.

"Okay," I answer as I give her a reassuring smile.

* * *

**Stef' POV**

By the time I got home, I could tell that the kids were probably all sleeping because all the hallway and bedroom lights were off except for my own. The second I open my bedroom door, Lena practically leaps out of the bed. "Is she here?" she asks anxiously.

"No. She's staying at Mike's tonight," I answer flatly, mainly because I was both exhausted from the long day I had, and also because I was still a little upset about the situation, even though we all agreed to try and make things work.

"I'm sorry," Lena says as she looks at me desperately, and I can tell that she means it.

"It's fine, love. She's fine," I try to assure her.

"It's not fine, Stef. I had a lot of time to think things through and I should've gone with you to apologize. Maybe if I did, she would've come back here and—"

"No," I interrupt her. "Mike was right. It was too soon to bring her here and I should've listened. She wasn't ready and we're all going to try to take things a little easier this time around. I don't want to overwhelm her with all of this again."

Lena nods her head and walks back to the bed, while I grab our laptop from the dresser.

"Was I the reason she didn't want to come back?" Lena asks after an awkward pause, and I can tell she feels guilty.

I take a seat on my side of the bed and open up the laptop, "No, honey. I think she was upset way before that. And I think that what you said was just the tip of the iceberg… It wasn't your fault.

"Well, it feels like it is," Lena answers as she pulls the covers over her body.

"It's not," I assure her again as I start to pull up the Safari app on the computer.

* * *

"What are you searching for?" Lena asks in confusion.

"I don't even know…" I answer as I let out a frustrated breath. I honestly had no idea what I was looking for.

She gives me a skeptical look and I attempt to explain myself better, "When we all were at the diner, Lux went to the bathroom and…"

"Okay?" Lena smiles as if it didn't seem like anything serious. But maybe it wasn't?

"And when I got in there, she started to wash her hands with hot water, like really hot water, like so hot that her hands were turning bright red and I could see the steam coming up from the sink. And she stayed there for a really long time and…I don't know. I just got a bad feeling about it. Is that normal?"

"That she washed her hands with hot water?" Lena asks with her eyebrows raised, and I could tell that she thought I was probably exaggerating a bit.

"She wasn't even washing her hands though. She hadn't used any soap until a few minutes afterwards. It was like she was trying to burn herself on purpose."

"Uhuh," Lena mumbled and I could tell that she knew something I didn't.

"What?" I ask worriedly.

She looks at me hesitantly before asking the next question, "Did anything happen before this?"

"What do you mean?"

"Did you guys get into a fight or—"

"She was upset, yes… Why?" I ask again.

"I'm not sure about anything…" she warns.

"What is it?"

"Well, I learned about something about this in college. I may be wrong, but… it sounds to me like some sort of self-harm—"

"What like cutting?" I ask in a louder tone than I intended. The words "self harm" just didn't sit well with me.

"Yes. It sounds like it… If she was upset about something, she may be using the pain she felt from the hot water as some sort of release valve. It could be a way to cope with her feelings."

"So, what do you mean? …Could this be dangerous?" I ask as the thought came to mind.

"I'm not sure. We're not even sure that was the reason she was doing it or if she was trying to intentionally hurt herself, but maybe it hasn't gotten to that extreme yet."

"Yet?"

"Well, there's other ways people can self harm in this category and we're not sure how serious it is. For people who cut to deal with their emotions, it's just cutting. But for people who burn themselves like this, the levels vary. They could be using scorching hot water, fire from a candle, a lighter, cigarettes, flatirons, pretty much anything… and depending on which method is used, it's difficult to predict if it's dangerous. Some may leave marks, while others don't. Which is why it's so hard to tell sometimes. And if it gets serious, burns are more likely to get infected than cuts so…"

"So, what she we do?"

"Well, we can't do much right now. We don't even know if she has a problem… And if she was willing to do it in front of you, she might not even realize that it is self-harm. And if she is burning herself, we don't know how bad it is… I guess for now, we can tell Mike to keep an eye out for anything suspicious. Maybe do some more research even…"

"I hope I'm wrong about this… We're all trying so hard to make this work and if this escalates and we try to tell her what to do, then…"

"You're right. Let's not jump to any conclusions until we know exactly what we're dealing with here, okay?"

"Okay," I agree, even though this conversation just made me feel even worse, and I couldn't get the picture of Lux burning herself in the diner's bathroom out of my mind…


	24. Chapter 24

**Mike's POV**

I know that teenagers are supposed to sleep late, but it was 2:30pm and Lux hasn't even come out of her room for a second. I tried to make breakfast for her for the first time, and when I knocked on the door to wake her up, she replied with a grumpy, "I'm not hungry. Go away," response, which I wasn't at all accustomed to, but didn't want to upset her even more.

But now I was getting even more nervous that she hadn't gotten up all night and all morning, so I pick up the phone to call Stef. After the third ring, Stef picks up, "Hey, Mike. What's up?"

"Are girls supposed to sleep all day or what? Is that normal?" I ask, but she just starts laughing, and I can already imagine the smirk on her face through the phone.

"Are you really calling me for this? Come on, Mike. You had me worried, thinking that she took off again."

"Yeah, well, I'm sorry, but I never had this problem with Brandon. He's always up before me and Lux was wide-awake at 6am the other day. Did you go through this with Mariana or Callie?"

"No, Mike. It's not a girl thing?" she says with confusion evident in her voice. "In fact, I'm pretty sure men are supposed to need more sleep than women, if I'm not mistaken. Get it together, Mike. Geez."

"Well, I'm beginning to realize where she got her grogginess from now," I joke.

"Oh, this sounds like a good one. What happened?"

"Nothing, you know, besides the fact that I got up extra early to make her breakfast, and when I told her to come and eat, she yelled at me to go away."

"Aw, Mike, I'm so sorry," Stef starts laughing on the phone.

"Yeah, I can tell that you are by the chuckle on the other line… Look, just tell me what to do? I'm drowning here."

"What do you mean? Just wake her up. Tell her that she has to get dressed and take her out somewhere. Go to the movies, bowling, anything, Mike. Figure it out. You can do this," she says encouragingly.

"I thought we grounded her last night. Now, you want me to unground her?"

"No I don't want you to unground her. She's not going out with her friends, Mike. She's going out with you, which technically, is probably punishment enough to not want to ever be grounded again," Stef laughs again on the other line.

"Thanks, Stef. I really appreciate the support."

"I'm sorry, Mike. I had to say it… Look, if it makes you feel any better, I can come over and do it for you…" she says, and I know she challenging my parental abilities at the moment.

"No, that's okay, Stef. I can do it. Not a problem."

"Okay. Talk to you later, Mike."

I listen to her hang up the phone and look up at the door of Brandon's room. I knew that I needed to get a bigger apartment, since Lux was staying here. But for now, it was still more room she had than at Stef's.

* * *

I walk over and knock on the door again a little harder, "Lux. Get some clothes on. We're going out," I yell as I wait for her to respond.

"Why?" she asks in confusion.

"Because I said so. You can't sleep all day," I answer nervously. When I hear her getting up from the bed, I immediately walk back over toward the couch.

She opens the door and I can see her squinting at me in confusion, and wrapped around a pink fleece blanket with a cat on it.

"Good afternoon, Sleeping Beauty."

"It's 2:30 in the afternoon, Mike," she says flatly.

"Yeah, exactly. You've slept all day."

"It's the weekend," she says just as emotionless.

"I know, which is just another reason to get up."

"And do what? I'm grounded, remember?"

"Yes—"

"Okay, so I'm going back to bed," she interrupts as she turns around and tries to close the door.

"No, you're not," I say matter-of-factly. "Sleeping all day is not allowed in this house, it's—"

"It's an apartment…"

"Well, it doesn't matter. We're going out. So put some clothes on and eat your breakfast."

"It's 2:30 in the afternoon."

"Are you trying to make this difficult, Lux? Remember what we all agreed on yesterday. We were all going to make some effort?"

"Fineeee," she says in an annoyed voice. "Where are we going anyway?"

"I thought we could go bowling?"

"I hate bowling."

"Can you pretend not to hate it for one day?"

She lets out a frustrated breath, "Fine. Whatever… Hey! Can I invite my friends?" she says with a hint of interest.

"Uh…"

"Remember that thing we all agreed on yesterday? What was it?" she lifts her index finger to her chin, "something about trying, I think."

"Fine, they can come."

"Thanks, Mike," she responds as she grabs the house phone from the receiver and locks herself in the bedroom again.

* * *

**Mariana's POV**

Callie and I immediately exchange glances at the sound of banging. "What the hell is that?" I ask her as I drop my apple back into the bowl on the kitchen counter.

"I don't know, Mariana. In case you haven't noticed, I'm sitting in the kitchen with you as well," she responds sarcastically.

"Who's making that noise?" Brandon asks as he and Jesus walk into the kitchen.

Within seconds, all of us except for Jude are following the noise, and we're led to the basement. When we get there, we discover that our mother is hammering away at the wall with a sledgehammer and breaking it into pieces. And our other mom is going through boxes of our old junk.

"Mom!" Jesus calls in order to get Stef's attention. The blonde immediately stops hammering at the wall and looks over to us.

"Hey, kids. What's wrong?" Stef asks.

"Besides you destroying our basement?" I say, as I take a long look at the humongous hole she made through the wall.

Both of our moms start laughing. "I'm not destroying it, sweets. I'm going to install a window in it."

"Why?" we all ask in confusion, causing Stef to glance at Lena before answering.

"Well, I mean if Lux is going to be staying here too, then we're going to need more room."

"You're putting one of us in the basement?" Jesus asks in disgust.

"No," she answers matter-of-factly.

"You're putting her in the basement?" Jesus asks skeptically, "…like in Harry Potter."

Lena laughs, "Harry Potter was locked in a closet, Jesus."

"Well, that closet looked more appealing than this mess," he answers sarcastically.

"Hey! You don't have to make me feel bad about it," Stef responds sadly. "I'm going to fix it up some. Take all this junk out, maybe put it in storage, and get it cleaned up."

All three of us eye the basement in horror and look over at our mom again.

"I think it's a great idea," Brandon buds in, causing us all to give him a look. "I think that if Lux stays here, the girls aren't going to feel too cramped up in their room and we won't feel so cramped up, upstairs. I mean, there's a bathroom here and now apparently a window," Brandon smiles as he points at the giant hole in the wall our mother made, causing all of us except for Stef to laugh.

"Yeah, you're right," I answer. The last thing I needed was for another girl upstairs. And maybe this way I wouldn't have to see her as much.

"Well, I think it's a great idea," Callie says. And I know that she's thinking the same thing I'm thinking. She obviously doesn't like this girl any more than I do.

"The time we spend in the bathroom won't have to be cut short, because there's a shower here too… If Lux wants to stay here, that's fine with me," Jesus says as he puts his hands up in the air.

"Ew, is that a centipede," I point out on the floor, as I start to back away.

"Don't worry. It looks dead," Brandon says as he begins to walk over toward it.

But surprisingly it starts racing toward Callie and I and we both run up the stairs. It wasn't until we reached the top that we relaxed.

"Suddenly, I'm actually glad that Lux came last," I tell her. "If I had to sleep down there, ugh!," I shake myself as if the insects were crawling all over me.

A few seconds later Brandon walks upstairs with the biggest smile on his face.

"What are you smiling about?" Callie asks.

"Well, if Lux moves into the basement, then I get my old room back."

"At your dad's?" Callie asks.

"So, that's why you were so excited?" I ask him. "Because you don't want her sleeping in the room that you never stay in?"

"Yup."

"Oh, poor baby. That would mean you'll only have one gigantic room all to yourself instead of two," I taunt. I didn't understand why Brandon was being such a spoiled brat.

"Not to be rude," Jesus chimes in, "But I kinda prefer it if she stayed over there too. Like, think about it. The last person always gets stuck with a cold shower and now this means that the last two people will," he says with a terrified look on his face.

I suddenly agree with them, "You know, maybe it's not such a bad idea if Lux stays at Mike's too."

"What if she doesn't want to?" Callie asks.

"Then, we make her want to," I say with a smile on my face as I grab an apple and walk out of the room.

* * *

**Lux's POV**

"Mike, no offense but I don't think I'm very good at this," I say as I roll the ball onto the lane and watch as it immediately rolls onto the divider for the third time, making sure not to hit one pin.

"You just need some more practice," he smiles. "Haven't you've ever went bowling before?"

"Yeah, and I was really good. Of course it was on the Wii, instead of in real life, but I was always got strikes. How could this be so…not fun?"

"It's plenty fun," he tries to assure me. "Maybe I should ask to move to another lane where there's bumpers. Would that be easier for you?" he says pointing to the other section.

I glance toward the lanes with bumpers and see a bunch of six year olds playing and chasing the ball down the lane, and throwing the balls into the air so that they collided with the floor with extreme impact, and I was almost positive they would break in half. "Uh… No, I can do this," I say as I grab the bowling ball for my second turn and try to toss it toward the pins, but the ball disagrees with me and goes over onto the other people's lane and hits their ball. "Oh, my God! I'm so sorry!" I say as the elderly man looks at me angrily and mumbles something nasty under his breath.

Mike laughs, "I'll go ask for a lane with bumpers, now."

"Yes, please," I answer as I look over and see the elderly man still shaking his head at me. "I said sorry," I mumble as I walk over to my seat. But right before I sit, I see Tasha walking in and immediately walk over to meet her, "Glad you made it," I answer with a smile. "I was beginning to wonder if I was going to look like a fool all by myself. Did you know that bowling while playing the Wii, is nothing like playing bowling in real life?" I joke.

She smiles but I can tell that something's wrong, "Wait…Where's Bug and Gavin?" I ask as I look behind her to see if they were following farther behind.

"Gavin couldn't make it and um…" she pauses and looks at me worriedly, which just makes me feel irritable. She never makes that face with me.

"What? Tasha just tell me," I urge her.

"…Bug left."

"What do you mean he left?" I ask in confusion.

"He didn't tell me anything. I swear… He just told Gavin."

"He told Gavin what?"

"That he wasn't coming back."

"What?" I snap. "Where did he go?"

"He didn't tell him that much… Look, Lux, I'm so sorry. He's an idiot."

"No…He wouldn't just leave me here. He wouldn't do that. He wouldn't bail on us," I try to yell but my words are muffled by my own tears.

"He's an asswhole, Lux. He doesn't deserve you. You're better off without him, okay?" she says as she puts both of her hands on either side of my face. "You know that, right?"

"He's all that I have, Tash," I cry. But I quickly try to wipe away my tears the second I see Mike approaching toward us.

"No, you have me, okay? You're going to be fine. I promise," she says as she pulls me in for a hug.

"Hey! Is something wrong?" Mike asks, which causes Tasha to turn around.

"Seriously dude? How about you mind your own business, huh?"

"Tash," I try to calm her, "This is Mike. Mike this is Tash," I introduce awkwardly. I didn't want to do it at the moment, but I didn't want her to make another hostile comment toward him either.

"Oh… If this isn't awkward…Sorry about that."

"It's no problem," he responds and then glances back over toward me, "Are you okay?"

"Actually, she's not," Tasha intervenes, "Do you think we can cut this little bowling, game, thing-a-majig, that you have going on here short. I really think Lux and I need to talk about some stuff without you there, I guess. Not to sound rude…again, or anything. But I think she can benefit right now with some alone time… you know? Without you standing here watching."

"Uh…" Mike starts nervously.

"We'll just go to the movies or something. Nothing to be worried about. And I'll make sure to bring her home safe and sound. Scout's honor," she says as she raises her right hand in the air and offers him a smile.

I could tell Mike was contemplating it, so I had to say something. I couldn't sit through another game of bowling with him right now. I needed to get out. "Please, Mike. I really need this."

"Okay," he says hesitantly. "Fine. But this is a one-time thing. And I want you home by eight. No exceptions. You have school tomorrow."

"Please don't remind me," I answer. That was the last thing I wanted to think about, telling Tasha I had to switch schools.

"Eight," he says again as he grabs his wallet from his pocket and pulls out a twenty and tries to hand it to me.

"What is this for?" I ask in confusion.

"The movie…"

"Oh, we don't need money," Tasha says. "We sneak in through the exit, when people walk out. It's more fun that way," she says with a smile.

"Tash," I warn.

"What?"

Mike grabs another twenty from his wallet and hands me the forty dollars, "How about you two pay for once? Try something different."

Tasha takes the money, "Thanks, man... See you later," she says as she starts to walk us both toward the exit, before I get a chance to say bye.

"You're dad's kinda funny. Pay for a movie?" she laughs.

"Tash?"

"Uhuh?"

"We're not going to the movies are we?"

"Nope."


	25. Chapter 25

**Lux's POV**

I had been walking with Natasha for a few minutes, until I remembered that I didn't even ask her where she was taking me.

I had been so determined to get away from Mike, that bowling place and all of the drama I had been engulfed in, that I hadn't even paid any mind to my surroundings at all.

I come to a halt once I finally come back to reality, "Uh, where are we going, Tash? You've never been around here, so I don't understand where it is that you think you're taking me…" I question.

"It's a surprise," she says secretively as she grabs my arm and forces me to walk with her. And by her smile, I get the feeling that I'm not going to like this surprise too much.

"Look, no offense, but I don't think I can take any more surprises today," I inform her.

"This is a good surprise," she says hesitantly and pauses before she speaks again, "…Soooo. Do you have your fake id on you?" she asks curiously.

I sigh but I can't help but smile, "What are you up to?"

She looks at me nervously before she stops in front of a building and gestures to it.

"A bar? You brought me to a bar?" I ask. "Tash, they're never going to believe we're 21."

"We used to use our fake id's all the time," she whines.

"Yeah, to get into R-rated movies and get jobs."

"Exactly."

"Tash, we can get arrested… I think?" I pause as I consider the possible consequence of getting caught with a fake id.

"So? Your parents can come bail us out," she laughs.

"No funny," I remind her.

"Okay, but after everything that's happened, don't you think you deserve a drink?" she asks seriously.

"I don't want to be one of those people that think they can drink their problems away. That's not me," I remind her.

"Well, don't you think I deserve a drink?" Tasha smiles. "Come on, you have no idea how much I had to walk to come and see you. My feet are killing me and I would prefer not to feel them anymore," she laughs.

"Fine," I give in. "One drink, but then I have to take you home."

"Sure," she answers with a nod as if she hadn't even heard me.

* * *

An hour afterwards and 3 shots later, I remember that I have to be at Mike's by eight, "We should get going?" I tell her. I was a little drunk, but still in my right mind to tell time.

"Why? We just got here," she says as she tries to raise her hand to call the waiter over to our table.

I pull her hand back down, "Well, for one we're almost over our budget," I remind her, "And two, I promised Mike I'd be back by eight."

"So, wait a sec. He was serious?" she asks in confusion.

"Yeah."

She laughs, "And what? Now, you're just going to do whatever he says? Why, Lux?"

"Because I promised them I would try to listen to them. And this is me trying."

"Wait. So all of a sudden you're taking orders from them?"

"I'm not taking orders."

"Yes, you are. They're treating you like a dog."

I sigh and try to ignore her comment. She must've been drunker than I thought…Or maybe I was so drunk that I didn't know what the hell I was saying? Either way, I was annoyed. "Then I guess I'm a dog," I tell her, "What's wrong with that?"

"Everything. You're not even acting like the right kind of dog," she says harshly.

"Okay, Tash," I answer calmly, but she keeps going.

"A house dog would listen and obey, Lux. But you're not a house dog. You're a stray remember? You've been out in the wild for years, surviving all on your own."

"Tasha, you're drunk," I tell her.

"Try to tie a leash on a house dog, he sits still. But try to tie a leash on a stray, and he bites. You need to bite, Lux."

"Who do you want me to bite?" I ask sarcastically.

"You know what I mean," she answers, and strangely I do know what she means. However weird her analogy is, I understand it perfectly, which is the problem. "You're not one of their kids, Lux and you never will be. Getting home by curfew doesn't make you one, and I don't even understand why you would want to be one in the first place. It's like you're trying to be someone else...If you capture a stray, bring him inside, and take him a bath, you can't expect him to keep off of the furniture and not eat the cat."

I have to burst out laughing at her last sentence and Tasha does too. "Just as I was trying to take you seriously, Tash. You were this close," I put my two fingers close together to show her.

"I am drunk," she confesses, "But that doesn't mean what I'm saying isn't true. Don't let them change who you are, especially if they don't bother listening to your barks. I mean, you're side," she laughs again.

"Yeah, I know," I answer.

"Another drink?" she asks happily.

"We don't have any more money," I remind her.

"So?"

Just as I am about to cave in, we both turn our attention to two guys approaching us.

* * *

"Hey, ladies," one of them says. "Can we buy you two a drink?" he asks and I can tell he has his eyes on Tasha.

She nods, "Well, if you insist," she says as she eyes me with a smile. The waiter walks toward us, as soon as the guy waves him over.

"Another round of…" the guy starts.

"Tequila," Tasha answers.

"Coming right up," the waiter says as he walks away.

"So, I'm James the brown-haired balsy guy says and this is my friend Eric," he points to the shy blonde guy next to him.

"I'm Tasha and this is my best friend, Lux," she gestures towards me and all I could really do was smile awkwardly. I hated meeting new people. I had met too may new people this week than I expected to in a lifetime.

Not to mention, I had just broken up with my boyfriend.

Correction: I had just been abandoned by my boyfriend.

_On second thought, this might not be such a bad idea_.

I glance over at Eric and suddenly realize that he's really cute. Older. But still cute.

"So…" Tasha starts, "Are you two from around here?"

"Um, no, actually," James answers. "Minnesota. Why is it that obvious we're outsiders?" he laughs.

"Pretty much," she says. And we all share an awkward moment of silence, "Well, I don't know about you," she tells James, "…but I could use some air, James…" I give her a worried look, once I realized what she was trying to do and she gives me an innocent shrug back.

"Yeah, me too," James says, once he catches on.

"Uh," I start.

"You two can wait for the drinks, right?" she says with a raised eyebrow as she walks toward me.

"I don't want to wait for the drinks," I whisper when she gets closer so that only she could hear.

"You'll be fine," she whispers back as she puts her hands in he pockets and starts walking out with James following close behind her.

* * *

I stare in her direction for as long as I could, so that I wouldn't have to do turn around a face this random guy.

"They just set us up. Didn't they?" Eric asks as he takes a seat, causing me to turn my attention towards him.

"Apparently so," I answer as I fidget in my seat, not knowing what to do with myself.

"I'm sorry. I had no idea he was going to do this," he explains embarrassingly.

"He?" I laugh, "From what I remember, my friend was the one who volunteered to go outside with a complete stranger."

"Yes, well, we made the first move when we walked over here."

I shrug my shoulders. "Yeah, you're right. It is your fault," I joke as I take a sip from my water.

"Ahah… You don't drink I take it?" he asked with some interest.

"I do, but I think at least one of us needs to sober up before we have to leave," I answer.

"You're leaving? But we just got here," he says in a pretend-hurt voice, which I can't help but chuckle at.

"Yeah, well, I have school in the morning, so I don't think hanging out late and getting wasted is the greatest idea."

"Really? You go to school? What's your major?" Eric asks with a smile and for some reason I find myself getting lost in it.

"Um…English," I answer nonchalantly as I take another sip of my glass, so that I can keep myself from smiling about the lie I just made.

"Really? Me too," he smiles and then straightens his face, "Well, it was English. I gradated a few months ago."

"Wow. Congratulations," I answer as I awkwardly take another sip of my drink.

"And you have a test tomorrow or something?" he asks curiously.

"Well, no. But—"

"Oh you're one of those…" he says in an annoyed voice, as the waiter comes over and places the four tequila glasses out in front of us. "Thanks, man," Eric says as the man walks away.

"One of those what?" I ask with my eyebrows raised.

"One of those goody-two-shoes women that doesn't drink, never misses a class, never does anything that doesn't give you a hundred percent control of the outcome… Am I close?" he finishes as he takes a shot of tequila.

"Nope. Not at all. Quite the contrary, actually. And you must be one of those men that thinks that being a complete asshole is the only way to get a woman to like you? Am I close?" I spat as I put my glass down and grab my jacket from the back of the chair.

* * *

"Wait," he puts his hand up and glances down at the table, "…Look, I didn't mean to sound like an asshole."

"Then what did you mean?" I retort, completely unimpressed by his sudden need to change his mind once I called him out on his mistake.

He sighs deeply and I watch him intently, because he looks as if he's going to say something. But he doesn't.

"Okayyy…Well, not like this encounter hasn't been the most amazing encounter I've ever had," I start sarcastically, "but I should really get my goody-two-shoes ass back home…" I start to put my jacket on and try to look behind him in search for Tasha. All I wanted to do was get the hell out of there, and I knew that Tasha and I should've left early when we had the chance. If the guy she was with was anything like this one, she probably has him in a headlock as we were speaking.

"My ex-girlfriend," he says in a really loud voice.

"Excuse me?" I ask, and I really hope he's not calling me that after we just met.

"We just broke up because she was the goody-two-shoes that didn't like not having a hundred percent control over anything…even our relationship," he chuckles sarcastically. "It just happed on Friday and I'm still a little upset about it, obviously."

"Oh," I begin awkwardly not knowing what else to say to him. For a second I thought about talking about Bug, since we were sort of in the same boat but I changed my mind, "I'm sorry… She sounds like a bitch," I continue, and suddenly I'm not sure I should've said that.

Surprisingly he smiles, "Yes, that she was… And apparently I must be the biggest idiot to be talking about my ex-girlfriend to a woman that I just met. I mean, it's not like I'm still hung up on her or anything…"

I shake my head playfully, "No, of course not."

"I'm just still trying to get used to it. You know?"

"And you decided to do that in a bar. You decided that the only way to gain that control back, is to get wasted?"

"Pretty much," he says as he reaches for another shot, but I put my hand on his so that he couldn't lift it.

"You're not getting control of anything if you're drinking. You're actually handing the control over to an object, which is even dumber that handing it over to another person."

"I'm not an alcoholic or anything," he tries to defend.

"I didn't think that," I correct. "I've just seen too many people lose control because of alcohol."

"But, you're here? And you're drinking?"

"And yes… right you are," I answer with a hint of embarrassment. "But I was just bored, and I know that I'm not going to gain any control from it... And I pretty much lost control of everything already, so why not one more thing right?" I smile as I try to grab the shot from the table but he pushes my hand back down, causing me to eye him confusingly.

"I have an idea," he offers.

"I don't like it already," I look at him skeptically.

"Let's do something."

"Uh…"

"No, not that," he interrupts. "Let's go and do something that we both have control over."

I laugh, "Like what?"

I watch as he thinks for a few seconds and a smile appears on his face, "…Come with me."

"Because getting into a car with a drunken stranger isn't the dumbest move ever?" I say nonchalantly. "Plus, my friend is outside," I remind him.

"Who said anything about a car?"

"Huh?"

He takes his gaze off of me when we both hear the text tone on his phone go off. "Excuse me," he says as he grabs it from his pocket and studies it, then passes it over to me.

"So, my friend is not outside," I answer as I read the text and realize that James took her out to eat and was taking her home afterwards.

"Now you don't have anything keeping you from coming with me. You'll have complete control." I eye him suspiciously. "…Or are you going to be someone else's puppet instead?"

"A house dog actually," I answer with a smile as I remember Tasha's analogy.

"Huh?" he asks in confusion.

"Nothing," I shake my head. "I'm in."


	26. Chapter 26

**Lux's POV**

Immediately I shoot up at the sound of someone's alarm and suddenly realize I'm in an unfamiliar place. _What the hell_, I think to myself and I turn my head a round and see that Eric was asleep on the couch across from me. _Shit! Shit! Shit! Mike is going to kill me! _I think to myself as I suddenly begin to remember all that happened the night before.

The Uno cards and the standard deck of cards that are spread all over the coffee table in front of me just reinforce my memories. I smile as I remember first coming upstairs to his apartment fearing that he expected something more from me. But his idea of doing something that was in our control was playing cards all night.

The idea sounded stupid even to me, so it was strange that I ended up having fun last night. After a while, even he realized playing 21 was stupid when he started to explain how it was supposed to make the player feel as if they were in control, because it was their choice of whether or not they picked up another card to be the closest person to reach 21.

I actually liked this dork side of Eric, having never seen that before in Bug. I liked that he was so different than him.

But when I'm finally able to snap out of it, I start to panic, knowing that I have to get to Mike's apartment as soon as possible.

But before I'm able to get my feet onto the floor, Eric blinks his eyes open and looks up at my frightened face. I wanted to get out of there before he got a chance to wake up, from fear of not knowing what to say. I had never spent the night at a guy's place besides Bug, but even that didn't feel strange because he was my friend long before he was my boyfriend.

_Had I fallen asleep while he was talking to me?_ is the only question that keeps racking my brain.

"Good morning," he smiles as he gets up at throws his blanket off of him. "Would you like some coffee?"

At this point, I'm not sure how to respond so I go with my first instinct, anger. "Why didn't you wake me up, as soon as I fell asleep?" I snap.

I feel bad as soon as I see the shocked expression on his face, "I thought I'd let you sleep. You looked pretty tired. And I didn't realize you had any place to be."

"I did," I respond in a low voice. "I mean I do," I answer as I start to get up and am suddenly thankful that I still have my shoes on and don't have to spend a lot of time looking for them.

"Oh," he says after a while. "I see…"

"That's not what I meant. That sooo not what I meant," I answer honestly.

"Well, good," he chuckles. "I'd really hate it if you spent the night at my place and you had a boyfriend. You know, I don't play cards with just anybody," he smiles as he pours himself a cup of coffee.

I have to smile back. _God! Why did this guy have to be so cute?!_ I think to myself as I grab my jacket from the couch. "Um… I should really get going."

"Yeah, yeah," he says. "I should actually get moving too. I have to head to work soon."

"Oh, you're not one of those goody-two-shoes guys that always show up at work on time are you?" I ask jokingly, recalling the conversation we had last night.

"Huh?" he says in confusion.

"Oh…" I start nervously. "Nothing. Forget it," I say awkwardly.

He chuckles again, "I'm just messing with you," he says playfully causing me to smile before I open the door to leave. "Hey! Wait!" he stops me, and I turn around to look at him in confusion. "When do I get to see you again?"

_This was what I was worried about_, I realize. _This was the reason why I wanted to get out of the house so quickly._

"Um…" I start to answer, remembering that I'm supposed to be grounded and I most likely made things ten times worse by breaking another rule. "I'll call you," I say.

"Do you want my number first?" he smiles.

"Uh, sure…" I answer as he starts going through some drawers in search for a pen and paper. "You know what," I start. "That's okay. I'll pass by when I get a chance. I mean, it's not like I don't know where you live…" I answer jokingly.

He nods in a depressed way, "Okay. Yeah, sure," he tries to shake it off.

"Eric, I'll swing by," I assure him. "I honestly lost my phone anyway," I lie. "So, I wouldn't be—"

Before I'm able to continue, I see him walking in my direction with a pen in his hand, and watch him reach for my palm and jot down his number, "You know, for when you find your phone," he says as he tries to fight back a smile. "No pressure. You're in control."

I smile back at him and I realize that I'm standing there like an idiot with my palm still in the air after he already let it go. "Okay," I say as I turn my body around to leave and walk out the door.

It's not until I'm all the way outside that I glance at my hand and notice he left a note along with his number saying, "Promise next time we'll do something more fun." I smile stupidly and shake my head as I walk toward the bus stop.

* * *

**Mike's POV**

"This is all my fault," I tell my ex-wife as I watch her pace the small walkway in my kitchen.

"This is not all your fault… Partly, yes. But not all."

"Thanks, Stef. You really know how to make a man feel better," I mumble.

"Well, what do you want me to say, Mike? One second we both agree to ground her because we're trying to set boundaries for her, and the next, you're letting her go off to the movies with her friend…"

"Stef, if you saw how upset she looked, you would have done the same thing."

"I doubt it," she argues. "You always give in when you see a female crying, Mike. It happens every freaking time, even at work… and it always gets you in trouble, but you still—"

"Yeah, Stef. I got it," I agree just to shut her up. "We're back to it all being my fault again."

"No, Lux definitely took advantage of you."

"I feel like I'm going crazy here, Stef. I was too busy trying to get her to like me that I basically let her go on and do whatever she wants. She's never going to take me seriously after this. Maybe you're right. Maybe she should've moved in with you. At least with you, Lena, and the kids, it would be a lot harder for her to take advantage of all of you."

"Are you forgetting that she bolted two days ago from my place? And we were all in the house when that happened…" Stef sighed deeply.

"Well, she doesn't respect me," I continued to complain.

"It's not just you, Mike."

And then the realization dawns on me, "What if…What if she doesn't come back?"

"She will."

"Yeah, what makes you so sure?"

"Well, she left her stuff for starters…"

"Yeah, you're right… You know what, you should head to work. I'll wait for her here. There's no use in both of us missing a day."

"Nope."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm just as pissed off as you are… let's not forget worried. This is the last thing that I expected to happen and now— How could she do this? How could she promise us one second that she's going to try and then…then…"

"Leave us like we're nothing?" I finish for her "…I guess she takes after her mother, for one," I answer jokingly and quickly regret saying it, when I see the angry look appear on Stef's face.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" she asks as she crosses her arms over her chest and tenses her body.

"No. It was nothing."

"Are you still bringing that up? Eleven years later and you're still upset with me about that Mike? Seriously?"

"Who said anything about being upset? Stef, I think you're the one taking it to heart. Not me."

"Then why the hell did you bring it up?" she snaps, but a second afterwards our attention is turned toward the door, when we hear a key being put inside of the doorknob.

Without hesitation both Stef and I forget about our argument and rush toward it, knowing that it had to be Lux.

* * *

**Lux's POV**

When I finally reach Mike's apartment, I can hear Stef and Mike arguing from the inside. I figured that if they were too busy arguing, then maybe they'd be too busy to see me sneak in. It's not like I hadn't done this before at other foster-homes but normally this was my best shot to slip in and slip out.

But the second I open the door, the first thing I see is a pair of boots on the floor. _I guess slipping in unnoticed was out of the question,_ I think to myself as I raise my head up to see Stef standing right in front of me with an angry look on her face and Mike standing a little farther behind her.

"Hey, Stef," I answer nonchalantly as I close the door behind me and walk around her, so that I don't have to see her glaring at me for longer than I need to. "What are you doing here?"

"You're kidding me right?" Stef asks from behind me and I take a deep breath before I turn around, bracing myself for what's to come.

"Look, I'm sorry I was late," I finally tell both of them, knowing that that was what they were looking for.

"Late?" Mike asks, his pitch rising. "You call staying out all night late?"

"Okay. I'm sorry I was really, really late. I just felt so sick after the movie last night. Tasha's place was closer than yours and I didn't really feel up to the walk back… so I just stayed there. I didn't think it'd be a big deal," I lie. "I've stayed there a bunch of times, so…"

Honestly, I knew they'd probably complain about it, but I still didn't think they had a real reason to.

"Why didn't you call one of us?" Mike asks. "We would've come to get you or even to tell us where you were staying at least."

"Aside from the fact that I don't have a phone…I don't have your numbers, so what did you want me to do exactly?"

"Do you understand that we were this close to calling the police," Mike emphasizes with his fingers.

"For what?" I argue.

"I sent you to the movies, Lux. You come back hours and hours later."

"And I told you why," I interrupt. "And I apologized. I don't see what else I can do."

"And we're supposed to just believe you?" Stef asks. "All you've been doing since you got here has been lying?"

"What?" I ask in confusion.

She continued, "You lied about stealing the forms from the hospital, you lied about going to Bug's apartment that day you said you were going to Tasha's, you lied about knowing Callie and Jude, you lied about wanting to try and make things work… How are we supposed to just trust anything you say?"

"Then don't!" I snap. "I'm a liar! I'm a huge liar! Is that what you want to hear?"

"Lux, lower your voice," Mike orders and it pisses me off that he's taking her side, when just a few seconds ago he was arguing with her.

"Why should I? I never asked you to trust me and frankly, I don't care if you do!"

"Lux, go to your room now!" Mike orders.

"Which one? Your son's room or the room I have in Tijuanna?" I spit back.

"Neither," Stef answers. "Go take a shower and get dressed. You have 20 minutes to meet me in the car downstairs. You're still going to school."

"It's 10 o'clock."

"Yes, and you're already late so get moving. You now have 19 minutes," she answers as she stares and points to her watch.

"This is ridiculous," I mumble as I walk toward the bathroom.

"Or would you rather go to the doctor's instead? You know, since you're so sick?" Stef asks rhetorically.

I slam the bathroom door behind me, suddenly regretting having come back.

I need to call Fern the second I get a chance.

There's no way in hell I'm putting up with this every day.

* * *

**A/N: Fern is Lux's social worker for those of you who forgot.**


	27. Chapter 27

**Stef's POV**

The second I got off the phone with Lena, Lux comes out of Mike's apartment and steps into my car. Sure, she was ten minutes late. And if I didn't know any better, I would assume it was just to tick me off even more.

But to be honest, those thirty minutes allowed me to calm down a lot before I could get to talk with her, which was beneficial to both of us. However, she wasn't going to get away with the obvious.

She had stayed out all night against our permission, while she was grounded, without saying one word to either of us. She broke at least two of the rules we gave her, and even grounding her didn't prevent this from happening.

Still, I too realized that all we have been doing lately is yelling at her and telling her what to do. And somehow it feels as if I've yelled more at Lux in the past few days than I have at Brandon throughout his entire life, so I could imagine just how bad this could get if I didn't think things through first.

But I was running out of options too. She was deliberately disobeying Mike and I, after promising that she'd try harder and I couldn't understand why.

I attempt to mentally assess the situation in my head on our silent ride toward Anchor Beach. Not wanting to yell at her, but not wanting her to think that this behavior was' perfectly okay' either. She knew what she had done was wrong and for some reason, she thought that a simple 'sorry' would make everything better.

Once I pull into a parking lot in front of the school, she immediately grabs her bag from the floor of the car and tries to leave. But once she pulls on the door handle to get out, the door doesn't open.

Of course, this doesn't come off as a surprise to me, since it's my fault. But she still tries a second time and then lets out a frustrated sigh. "Your door is stuck, Stefanie," she says in an annoyed voice and with an emphasis on my name. And I know that she's just calling me Stefanie instead of Stef, just to upset me even more, but I don't take the bait.

"It's not stuck," I answer calmly.

She flips the lock up and down and tries to open it again, unsuccessfully, "Uh, yes it is. I can't get out," she replies as she pushes the door harder with her shoulder while trying to open it.

"Relax," I tell her, "Let's talk."

Lux squints her eyes at me as if I had gone insane, "Did you put the child-lock on the door?" she asks exasperatedly. "That's your plan? To lock me in a car with you?"

I wait a few seconds before I respond, "I just want to talk before you go in there."

"You had the whole ride over here to talk," she says matter-of-factly.

"Lux, please don't make this difficult," I try to say calmly but it comes off as a warning instead. Immediately, I change to a much softer tone, "Look, I need you to know that your father and I aren't trying to be the mean ones here. I know that that's what it sounds like and I promise you that we're not always like this—"

"Uhuh," she mumbles right before she sighs again and sinks back into her seat.

"We were honestly worried about you, Lux…And I'm not going to lie, we were mad too. _But_ we just want to understand why."

"I told you why."

"No, not why you showed up at Mike's the next day, but why you would do something like that when you just promised us you wouldn't. How can you tell us one day you're going to try and you're going to listen to our rules, and the next day just do the exact opposite? You told us that you wanted to try and make things work, but this isn't trying."

"And I apologized—"

"That's not good enough, Lux… What you did to Mike wasn't okay. He tried to meet you halfway, tried to give you a little bit of freedom, and this was how you repaid him?"

"Well, then maybe I'm not good enough," she retorted.

"That's not true," I shake my head. "You're not trying hard enough. That's the issue."

She shakes her own head as if I'm lying or she doesn't want to believe me and makes a hissing sound.

I take that as my cue to change the subject, "Mike said you were crying yesterday? Is that what this is about? Did something happen?"

Lux gives a short fake-laugh as if my sincerity wasn't even real.

"Lux, I know that right now it might look like we don't care about what's important to you, but we do. If we didn't care, we wouldn't be trying so hard to—"

"That's hilarious. You chased one of the only people that I loved away, because you care? You're right. That makes so much sense. You're trying sooo hard," she responds sarcastically.

"What? Who are you talking about? Bug? …Lux—"

"He got tired of dealing with your crap and left me, okay. Are you happy?" she yells. "Him and Tasha are all that I had, and…now you chased him away and then try to ground me so that I can't see Tash, who's the only person I have left!"

"Lux, I will talk to him and I'll—"

"You won't find him. What part of _he's gone_ don't you understand? And you've done enough already."

"Lux, you cannot honestly blame me for this..." I start, but she shakes her head with defiance. "Lux?"

"Why not huh? Bug has never done this…like ever. Not in the five years that I've known him has he ever left me. And what? A few days after I meet you, he's gone. Without a single word."

"That's not my fault, Lux…Bug left you. Not me. And even if it was my fault, why would you want someone like that in your life, huh? Someone that will just leave you at the drop of a hat?"

"Whatever," she says as she turns away from me to look at the school building.

"No, it's not whatever. You say that he's your family, that him and Tasha are all you have but family doesn't run out on family."

"Look who's talking…" she mumbles.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It doesn't matter. I'm already late," she turns to face me, "Are we done? Are you finished arguing?"

"No we're not done," I raise my voice because her constant ignoring my input is really started to get on my nerves. "Lux, I didn't run out on you…Bug did. And I'm tired of you treating me and Mike like that's what happened. How is that fair?"

"Oh. My. God! Are we back to this again? It's not fair to us, Lux. Why aren't you doing what you're supposed to, Lux? You have to go to this new school, Lux. You have to start living wherever we tell you to, Lux. When are you going to start acting like our daughter, Lux? That's all I hear from you! News Flash: I'm not your daughter! You already have two so try bossing them around. I already have a family and you taking them away from me, one by one, isn't going to make me want to join yours so just stop already! Geez!"

"Oh, they are your family? This Bug guy, the same guy who left you without saying a word. He's your family? These are the same people who tried to coerce you into getting emancipated? The same people who helped you get thrown out of the Gilberts, the only decent family that Callie and Jude have ever lived with since before us? And now they're the same reason you're trying to pull away from us?"

"You don't get to talk about them like that!" Lux snaps. "What the hell do Callie and Jude know about the Gilberts, huh? They were only there for like what? Less than a week? They should've tried living there for two years like I did and see if they still felt the same way," she gives a short and fake-laugh. "Those kids should count their blessings that I got them kicked out of that house when I did."

"What does that mean?" I ask her.

"What do you care?"

"Lux, I do—" and before I can finish, Lena is knocking lightly on my side of the window and I know that this conversation has come to an end. I sigh before I roll it down. "Hey, honey," I greet as Lena bends over to give me a kiss on the cheek.

* * *

"Hey, babe. Hi, Lux. Are you ready?"

"Well, not y—"

"Yes," Lux responds without hesitation, which causes me to hold my breath. Lena looks at me for verification and I just nod and smile, because I know that there's no way in hell I'm going to get any more out of her now.

"…Okay," Lena responds skeptically, because she can sense that there's something going on.

"Lena can you," I pause and I gesture toward Lux's door and receive _the look_ from my wife, when she realizes that I put the child-safety lock on it.

"Uhuh," she says to keep the conversation to a minimum, before she walks around to the other side to open it.

The second Lux is out of the car, I remember something, "Oh wait!"

She rolls her eyes and whips her body around, "What?"

I pull out a phone from the center console, "Here, we want you to have this."

"Um, I don't think s—"

"It's not up for discussion," I stop her, "We don't want a repeat of last night happening, so your best bet is to take the phone. All of our numbers are already programmed on it, so if something comes up, _which it shouldn't_, but if it does, you can shoot us a text or call. I have my phone on me pretty much 24/7 so here," I lean even further so that she could grab it, but she stares at me angrily as if she has no inclination of taking it. "Lux, please don't make this difficult…"

Lena grabs the phone from my hand, "I got it, Stef." At first I'm not sure what to think, but I sigh as I try to trust my wife's instincts. However right now, Lux obviously hates me, so it wouldn't hurt if Lena tried, even though I still don't feel comfortable about letting my wife deal with her, when I can't.

"Okay… I'll see you two later then?"

"Yes," Lena answers.

Then I hear Lux mumble, "Do I have a choice?"

I attempt to respond back but Lena begs me not to with her eyes so I don't, "Love you too!" I yell as I pull out of the parking lot.

* * *

**Lux's POV**

As soon as Stef leaves, I'm almost grateful until I see Lena standing besides me. _It's like I can't even get a break from these people._

_They're freaking everywhere._

"So, I'm glad you could make it," Lena says as we start walking toward the school.

"Really? Because I'm not," I answer as I keep my gaze away from her and toward the entrance.

"You know… she means well," she tries to defend. "She really wants this to work out. We all do."

"Yep," I answer in a flattened tone. _That's all I needed. Another person telling me how badly they wanted this to work out…_

"I know that it may not sound like it right now, but…it'll get better. We all just need some time to adjust to all of this."

"Oh come on… It's obvious that you don't want me here just as much as I don't want to be here..."

"That's not true."

"Uhuh. Can't you just like… tell her that me being here is a bad idea or something. Make something up or convince her that I don't belong anywhere near here. I mean we all know it, right? Her and Mike are the only two who actually think that this is going to work for whatever reason. I don't even know. It's like they have this blind spot because I'm biologically related to them… But you're her wife. She values you're opinion and everything, right?"

"Um, Lux, I…I can't do that…"

"Why?" I ask as I watch her stop in front of her office door.

"Because that isn't something that Stef wants."

"Well, what Stef wants isn't something that I want," I respond in a harsh tone, but try my best to lower it, "Look, it's not like I'm asking for the impossible, okay. She doesn't even know me, and you guys already have like ten kids so…"

"That's not the point," Lena answers as she opens the door to her office and tries to hold it open for me, but I don't go in.

"Then what is… Look, you and I both know that this isn't going to work. I haven't had parents in 14 years and to be honest, I don't need them. I don't even want them. If you would just help me, things can go back to normal for everyone. Isn't that what you want? For Callie and Jude, _your real kids_, to feel safe again? You're acting like what I'm asking for is a bad thing."

"Lux, Stef and Mike would be devastated."

"Oh, because angry Stef and Mike are so much better?" I retort.

"They're only angry because—"

"I'm not who they want me to be," I finish for her.

"No, because you lied... They're not going to stay angry forever. We're all just trying to figure this out and I know it's confusing, but—"

"So does this mean you're not going to help me?" I interrupt.

"It means I can't help you," she lets out a frustrated sigh. "Look, why don't we talk more about this later, when we've all have a chance to calm down some, okay? Are you ready to take this test?"

I take a deep breath and keep quiet until I hear her last question, "Uh, no. It's my first day here and you want me to take a test?"

"It's a placement test. It lets us know where you are academically, so that we know where to place you."

"So…let me get this straight... I can't even start as a freshman. You're going to force me to take a stupid test to determine which grade I have to start in?"

"It's mandatory for new students. Ever since the new principal took over, we—"

"Fine, whatever," I stop her. "Where's the bathroom around here?"

"Um, it's down the hall to the left. You'll see it."

"Okay," I answer, but before I open the door Lena stops me.

"Which reminds me, your phone," she says as she hands it over.

I give her a fake-smile and a "Thanks" before I take it from her. Because I realize that I'm going to need it more than I want to turn it down.

And as soon as I'm down the hall and in the bathroom, I don't waste any time before I dial Fern's cellphone number. I had memorized it by heart and I rarely ever called her. But this was an emergency, so I couldn't help but breathe a huge sigh of relief when she answered.

"Hello, this is Fern."

"Fern, thank goodness you picked up. It's Lux."

"Yes, Lux. Hey… Is everything okay?" she asks in a worried tone.

"No. I'm calling to tell you, that I need another placement…"


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N: So I got a review about Lena, Brandon, and Callie being a little out of character and I just wanted to explain why they are acting the way they are. I don't mind explaining my reasons behind these things because I think it helps understand the story and the characters better, and if there's one person who says it, I know a few others are thinking it too. **

**As for Lena, I know she's not overjoyed about all of this. But basically, I'm trying to have her be the voice of reason for Stef. To be honest, Lux isn't really trying to be part of their family; she's run away, disrespected them, and complained non-stop since she got there (less than a week ago). All she knows is that her wife has not been the same since Lux came back. Rather than Stef being happy, she constantly has to reprimand the teen and then come home and recount what happened afterwards to her wife. Lux doesn't live there with them, so they've only mostly seen the bad. The few times that Lena has seen Lux, was the day of the family dinner (which didn't go well at all) and when she got dropped off at school. But I'm trying to show that Lena IS trying to make the situation better and is showing that she wants to include Lux in her family. Also since Callie is completely distraught that history is going to repeat itself, this is going to make Lena a bit defensive for her children, as any mother should be. No one besides Lux, Tasha, and the Gilberts know what happened at their stay in the Gilbert's house, so it's easy to go off **_**what they do know**_**, which is that **_**Lux spray painted the house with her friends**_**. Stef tried to brush all of that off, because this is her biological daughter we're talking about here and that trumps anything bad she's done in the past. She has a blind spot when it comes to her because she missed the first 14 years of her life and doesn't want to lose her. Lena doesn't have this blind spot so she's going to tell it like it is. She's always the parent trying to rationalize everything and so that's what she's doing. She's also trying to help Stef and Lux's relationship, by telling Stef that she can't be her friend and let her do what she wants. If she wants to be her mother, she has to act like it.**

**As for Brandon, all he knows is this girl just shows up out of nowhere, and now he has to share both parents, not just Stef. He's never had to share Mike, and I honestly think jealousy would come into play if this ever did happen. His room at his dad's apartment is no longer just **_**his**_** room. Not to forget that Lux is bringing a crap-load of problems into all of his parents' lives and she's getting so much attention still (example: Stef is fixing up the basement for her). **

**And Callie is acting this way because she's terrified of getting kicked out again from a safe home. She already considers Stef and Lena as her moms and the kids as her siblings, and she doesn't want to lose them again and end up in another crappy foster home. Remember, **_**she's still not adopted**_**. Again, she doesn't know what happened at the Gilberts'. All she knows is that Lux lived there for two years and thinks of her as being ungrateful for ruining a "good" situation to do a stupid prank with her friends that she and her brother had to pay the price for.**

**If you want to know why Lux is being so difficult, the author's note of Chapter 16 explains that, plus everything bad that happened in the fic since then enforces her behavior.**

**Basically, that's where I'm trying to go with this. Again, I know that things don't always go back to the way the characters in the show are portrayed. This is a very different situation for all of them and these characters have never had to deal with this ordeal (Lux isn't in the actual show). But if this actually did happen, this is how I would imagine them behaving. **

**I'm still trying to have Lena be understanding but defensive when her children or family feels threatened (remember how she reacted toward Ana outside the hospital), Callie be un-confrontational but weary, and Brandon be selfish sometimes (remember when he wanted Callie to leave his family for him. He wasn't thinking about her and the fact that she was losing a chance to be part of a family. He was only thinking about himself and what he would be losing). **

**And I apologize for this ridiculously long author's note. But the explanations were necessary for anyone who feels lost or confused. If you have any other questions or feel that something else needs to be explained more, please pm me and I'll try to answer the best way that I can. I write and hope that people see it my way, but sometimes I just assume that you guys know why I'm having **_**this character**_** act **_**this way**_**. **

**And back to the story…**

* * *

**Mariana's POV**

After I saw Lux in the hallway at school, this weird fit of rage came over me. Not only was she coming out of _my mother's_ office, but now she was holding a cellphone in her hand that I'm almost positive my other mother gave to her.

And when I realize that Callie is standing perfectly calm at her own locker, oblivious to what was going on right in front of us, a whole other fit of rage comes over me as I make my way over to her, "Why are you so chill about this?"

"About what?" she asks as she squints her eyes at me in confusion.

"Miss Blondie Criminal is walking around _our school_ as if she owns the place, as if she didn't keep mom up all night because she was worried about her. The nerve of that girl…"

Callie laughs in response, "Isn't this what you wanted? You wanted her to mess up so that she'd leave?"

"No, I wanted her to _want_ to leave… Or maybe even stay at Mike's. But apparently even her messing up all on her own isn't doing anything. Look at all that she's done and she's getting rewarded with a freaking cellphone. I'm not expert in child psychology but that makes absolutely no sense."

"You don't know that it was mom who gave it to her. It could have been Mike," Callie offers. "And the phone is not exactly a _reward_ as you might think. They're probably using it to track her."

"Oh my God!" I beam and I can't help the huge smile that creeps on my face. "We should totally tell Lux. That would piss her off right?"

"Uh… And why would you want to piss her off exactly?" she asks hesitantly, which causes me to roll my eyes in disbelief.

_Callie should've been keeping up by now._ But then I realize that she doesn't know how to be sneaky. She doesn't have the years of experience as I do, "Because it might make her act out more…" I wait for her to respond but she just stares at me cluelessly. She really has no idea what I'm getting at no matter how much I hint at it. "If she acts out more, then mom won't be able to deal with her. She's already living in a house with five teenagers. I mean come on. Everybody has their breaking point."

"I don't think—Mariana, she is her daughter… She's not just going to abandon her…"

"Then, we'll figure out something else. And I don't want her to abandon her…Not really," I try to inform her but more for myself. "I just don't want to have to see her…or hear her…or _hear about her_—"

"You want to pretend she doesn't exist?" Callie asked sarcastically.

"Exactly," I answer. "Tell me you don't want the same thing, Callie?"

"I don't know what I want, really. I just don't want to get into more trouble than it's worth, Mariana. She's my problem anyway. Why do you hate her so much?"

"I don't hate her. I just don't like her."

"Why?" she asks again.

"Because… I just don't." I snap. "So are you with me or not?" I ask completely ignoring her question.

_I wasn't going to admit the fact that I was scared they would love her more. It's bad enough I felt like that with Brandon and I was raised with him. But this stranger wasn't going to make me feel worse about my place in my family, regardless of the fact that she shared Stef's blood. And the fact that Callie doesn't like her just makes me hate her even more._

"I…don't want to get involved," Callie responds as she closes her locker and starts walking toward her class. "You shouldn't either."

"You are involved!" I remind her as she keeps walking.

* * *

**Lux's POV**

After taking the placement test, I was forced to sit through three boring classes before school ended. Aside from texting Eric every once in a while, I had no fun. Lena put me in slow classes, which I was not happy about. But at the same time, maybe I shouldn't have played eenie-meenie-miney-mo with my scan-tron for the placement test. I sucked at tests anyway, so I probably got a better grade than I would have if I actually read a word off of the exam.

One day wouldn't have mattered anyway because Fern agreed to come see me later on today so being in a class with a bunch of people, that don't know how to spell the word _October,_ didn't really faze me. I knew I wouldn't be coming back here.

After the last bell rang, I immediately stand up from my seat to leave, leaving my notebook behind and everything. At this point, who cares, right? But once I step foot out of the room, Lena is standing there with a smile on her face that quickly disappears. "Where's your notebook?" she starts.

"Yeah… I think I lost it," I come up with a lie, while I shrug my shoulders and glance away from her so that I don't have to look at the baffled expression on her face and laugh. "So where are we going?"

"We'll be leaving in ten minutes. I just wanted to come and get you since I forgot to tell you where we meet up at after school. I didn't want you getting lost or anything," she tries to smile but I just give her a flattened look.

"Anything? What? You think I'm going to run?" I ask accusingly even though I can't say it didn't cross my mind because it did. A few times actually. But now that I was talking to Fern, I didn't see the point in leaving.

"No, I didn't think that at all," she tries to convince me. "Honestly, I was just trying to make things easier on all of us."

_Honestly, I don't believe your crap_, I want to say but I refrain from doing so. "Mhm."

* * *

**Stef's POV**

I rush home from work the second I get Lena's text letting me know that Fern, Lux's social worker, had come over for a surprise visit. I knew that today wasn't a good day for any of us, but something in my gut tells me that things aren't going to go well if I don't show up.

The fact that I still have to answer to a social worker when it comes to my own biological child pisses me off completely, but she is still considered a ward of the state in the eyes of the law, and there's no actual proof that I never signed away my rights. It was my signature on the birth certificate that I didn't sign.

I knew that I had to go to court and fight all of this, because it was Dr. Greene who caused this entire debacle. But the legalities of it all were far from my main concern at the moment and I knew how slow lawyers were. Adding that on to my current stresses seemed impossible considering everything that was going on.

Stopping Lux from planning to run away again, dealing with her constant rule breaking, trying to console Callie from worrying that something was going to happen to her, reconstructing the entire basement to have some place Lux could sleep, picking out Lena's anniversary gift, and working so that I could keep a roof over all of our heads seemed more important than a piece of paper at the moment. I knew that I would have to deal with the courts at some point but was putting it off, at least until I felt like I could handle it.

Mike was already attempting to file suit on the hospital, but I hadn't ever heard back from him about that. And anyway, that had to be done before we could get our parental rights reinstated and that's only if we win.

But I couldn't help but panic about what Lux had said since Fern had gotten there. _Had she already talked to Lux?_ I wonder as I open the front door and close it gently, trying so hard to mask my nervousness.

These visits always made me feel this way, when it came to the other kids. But this time felt like the very first visit I had when Mariana and Jesus were just coming to stay with us. It felt as if the CPS worker could take her away if she found one thing out of place.

* * *

I walk in and automatically spot the woman, who I had only seen once before with Mike. She was sitting on the couch across from Lena and Mike, both of which had disappointed or stressed looks written all over their faces. But I try to keep myself as calm as possible, "Hi, Fern. How are you?" I smile as I offer her my hand to shake.

She stands up and shakes it with an expression I can't exactly read but know that can tell that it's not good, "Hello, Stefanie. I was just going over some basic things with your wife and Mike until you got back."

She sits back down and I sit beside Lena, "Okay. So I hope I didn't miss too much? I got here as soon as I could," I joke.

"No, not at all," she responds. "I'm sorry about the surprise visit and I'm glad you all were able to see me. I normally don't do them until the weekend or in the evening, but something important was brought to my attention and I'm going out of town on Wednesday so the sooner the better. But aside from that, you didn't miss too much. Lux is in the kitchen. I figured I would take the time to talk to her first while we waited for you."

"Okay," I try to sound upbeat even though what she had just said made me even more worried. I quickly glance down at the empty page of her notepad on her lap and then back up.

"So are you all alright if we get started?" she asked as she stares at us all skeptically. And I know that we all appear anxious to her and for good reason. But we all say yes in agreement, knowing that we're all dreading this. "Okay good. I know that you've all been through this before, having adopted 3 kids of your own…"

"Almost four. We're still in the process of adopting Callie. We've just hit a few bumps," I answer.

"I see. She's here with her brother, Jude, as well. Am I right? I took some notes before I came and talked with Bill to get a little bit of background. That always helps when conducting these meetings."

Lena nods her head and continues, "Well, yes we completely understand. But we actually tried to adopt her on several different occasions, but we found out that the man who she thought was her father wasn't, and then her actual father refuses to sign away his rights just yet so—"

"And she lives here?" Fern asks in confusion.

Lena answers, "Yes. Her father still believes that she should live with him for his reasons but this is where Callie wants to be."

"And he still refuses to sign away his rights?" Fern questions skeptically.

"Yes," I respond. "It's all very complicated. He thinks that one day she will change her mind and well we tried to go around him but we couldn't compete with his lawyers," I admit embarrassingly. I hated having to answer to that question. I felt like I was saying, I don't make enough money to take care of my child as a complete stranger to her does. And it was always a reminder that I had let her down, despite the fact that that stranger was her father.

"I see… From what I've noticed here, she was in juvie correct?"

I could feel the rage building up and my and Lena's bodies. Thankfully Lena answers, "Yes, but that wasn't her fault. There was an issue with her last foster-father and she was trying to defend her little brother, Jude, which is how she landed there."

"It says here that she was placed in juvie twice? I don't mean to intrude or anything but from what Bill says, one of those times was while she was living here… Is that correct?"

"Yes, but that was well over a year ago and she was going through a difficult time. We talked to her about it, and it hasn't been an issue since," Lena defends.

"Uhuh," Fern answers with a nod as she tries to take the information in. "And how about Lux. She's tried to runaway too, yes?"

We all remain silent for a while, mainly from fear of saying too much. I hadn't known if she was referring to what happened the other day, or if Lux had runaway from a previous foster home. I had read her file from top to bottom and practically had it memorized. _But perhaps there was something missing from it_, I think to myself. "…What do you mean?" I finally ask.

"From what I've been told, Lena made a comment about not wanting Lux here and she stormed out of the house, tried to go to her friends house, until you brought her back?"

"Oh my God," Mike says exasperatedly as he put his hand to his forehead, which causes for a look from Fern.

"Whoah," I stop her. "Lena never said that she didn't want her here…A comment was made about Lux that shouldn't have been and she then apologized about it."

"And what was the comment?" Fern asked.

"This is just great," Mike mumbled.

"…I said that Lux wasn't our daughter but it honestly came out wrong. I would never want to make her feel as if that were the case. There was an incident between Callie and Lux in a previous foster-home and Lux—"

"Spray painted the Gilbert's house. Yes, I have that on file," Fern continues.

"Yes, well Callie got a new placement because of it and she was afraid that the same thing would happen again. When I talked to Stef about it, I felt as if she wasn't taking the situation too seriously, so I did say that out of a fit of anger—"

"And Lux overheard?"

"Yes. I've regretted it the moment it came out of my mouth. Normally, I'm not impulsive, but when it comes to my children I can get a bit defensive and irrational sometimes."

"Uhuh. So aside from that incident, have there been any more incidents that would make Lux feel like any of you didn't want her here?"

"Aside from having her get mad about the DNA results? ...Um not really."

"So you didn't threaten to arrest her boyfriend?"

"He put his hands on her," Mike tries to defend. "It's illegal to assault a police officer."

"Mike," Lena chastised.

I speak up before Mike decides to say something worse, "When I found Lux after she ran away, I tried to bring her back home and Bug, her boyfriend, tried to keep me from doing so. I didn't just threaten him without probable cause."

"I'm not trying to attack you, Stef… Or any of you for that matter. I need you all to understand that. It's just that when I hear from one of my cases, that they are unhappy and tell me why, I need to address everything. Lux obviously doesn't want to be here and that's a big problem to me. Foster children have to want to be at their placement. She's already run away once, what's to stop her from running away as soon as I walk out that door?"

"We understand—" Lena starts but I interrupt.

"She doesn't like being here because she's not allowed to do whatever she wants," I respond in a louder tone. "Her last foster-mother didn't even report her missing and she had been living with her 17 year old boyfriend for who knows how long because you placed her in a home with an irresponsible adult. She needs rules and structure and she's not used to having them so she's acting out."

"I understand that and I completely agree with you. Kids need rules and structure, there's no doubt about that. And as for her last placement, I will be having the home reassessed, but Lux needs parents who are going to be able control her and keep her in line. Not let her go to a bar when she's grounded and sleep over a strange guy's house less than a week after being placed with them…"

**To be continued.**

* * *

**A/N: Did you guys expect Lux to spill the beans on EVERYTHING? I thought it'd be an interesting twist and something she'd do in desperation. **

**Half hour until the finale for me!**

**So excited. And as for the guest who asked me if I was going to do a continuation of what happens after the finale, the answer is yes. But I want to finish at least 3 of my current fics before then. And I wouldn't worry, because I'm sure a few will be coming out that I am looking forward to reading :)**


	29. Chapter 29

**Stef's POV**

"_I understand that and I completely agree with you. Kids need rules and structure, there's no doubt about that. And as for her last placement, I will be having the home reassessed, but Lux needs parents who are going to be able control her and keep her in line. Not let her go to a bar when she's grounded and sleep over a strange guy's house less than a week from being placed with them…"_

* * *

"What?" Mike and I both ask in both confusion and shock evident in out voices. For a second I'm not even sure that I've heard Fern correctly, but I'm afraid to ask her to repeat herself.

"This is what I'm talking about. You two had no idea where she was last night and neither of you mentioned to tell me anything since I've arrived here."

"She told us that she was at her friend's house," Mike answers matter-of-factly as if that would change anything. "Lux!" he yells as he begins to stand up but I force him back down in his seat.

"Mike," I warn. "Not now," I eye him sternly, letting him know that we'd deal with it the second Fern left. As pissed as I am about what Lux claims to have done, I'm even more pissed at myself for allowing it to happen.

Fern looks from Mike and back to me with an apparent look of disapproval and then glances back down at her notepad, "Now this friend…"

"Tasha," Mike concludes and I nod because I met the girl twice. But neither of those times, did I get a good feeling about her.

Fern lifts her head up, "Natasha Siviac? Yes, she was in the system too. Her and Lux were glued to the hip growing up…"

"Okay?" I ask, unable to hide my perplexed reaction. "I'm not sure I understand where this is going here…"

"Natasha Siviac ran away from foster-care over a month ago. She is another one of my cases, but I haven't been able to track her down ever since. I'm surprised you didn't know about this…" she comments as she shakes her head slightly. "You said you have met this girl, right?"

"Yes, but we didn't ask for her track record," Mike says defensively. "How were we supposed to know this? And why is it that we are the ones being interrogated because we don't know every little thing about our daughter's friends. Our daughter that we just met less than a week ago in case you forgot."

Lena buds in, "This girl, Natasha Siviac, isn't she your case? You cannot possibly expect us to keep track of another kid. Natasha was your responsibility."

"I'm well aware of that. And I am still doing everything I can to try to find her. But aside from all of that, I put Lux in your care. All of you, as parents, should be trying to get more involved and you should know exactly whom your daughter is hanging out with. Forget about Natasha for a second… The bottom line is, last night your kid went to a bar and spent the night at a complete stranger's house. She comes home the next morning… and Stef, you give her a cellphone?" Fern asks skeptically as she glances up from her notepad. "Do you realize that rewarding this type of behavior is the last thing you should be doing?"

"You did what?" Mike reiterates in disbelief and suddenly I'm made out to be the bad guy again.

"No, no, no, no, no. I gave her a cellphone to keep this very thing from happening again. I told her specifically that she wasn't allowed to just disappear all night and not tell us where she was going. And I told her that if she ever needed a ride home, to call us immediately. The phone wasn't a reward. It was a necessity for all of us. If something were to happen, I would've tracked her down using the phone's GPS and brought her home myself."

"Stef," Lena tries to chastise.

"No, Lena," I argue. "I bought her the phone so that I could keep tabs on her.

"But why would you need to keep tabs on her if she was already grounded?" Fern asks. "Normally, when parents ground their children, they aren't allowed to go out with their friends or even pretend to go out with their friends as was the case last night. Why did you allow Lux to go out?"

I have to stare at Mike for that one. And if looks could kill, Mike would've already been dead this morning.

"That was my fault," Mike takes responsibility as if that was the biggest issue here. "I know that it was my fault. I tried to take her bowling so that she wouldn't sleep through her entire Sunday. She asked to invite her friend and I wanted her to have a good time so I said yes. Now, I realize that was a stupid thing to do because after only a few minutes when Tasha got there, I found Lux crying and then… I gave in. I let her go out with that girl. I didn't know what to do… When my son used to cry, I would tell him to be a man and suck it up. Was I supposed to do the same thing to my daughter?"

"If she was crying, why didn't you call me and tell me?" I ask as if that were the most logical explanation. But most of all, I was annoyed that I wasn't notified.

"Because I didn't want you to think that I couldn't handle it," he defends. "She's my daughter too, Stef. What kind of parent would I be, if I let her see that I run to you for every little thing? She's going to think that I'm a pushover. Right or wrong?" he asks Lena and Fern.

"But she already thinks that," Lena tells him. "She took advantage of you, Mike. Two times in one day. The first time when she asked you if she could bring her friend to go bowling. And the second time was when she asked you if she could leave."

"And you let her," I remind him.

"I get it. This is my fault."

And just as I'm about to say yes, I hear Fern's voice again.

* * *

"No," Fern concludes. "All of you are to blame here. Mike, you have to learn how to say no to your daughter. I get it. She just came back into all of your lives and you're not sure how to handle it. You missed her childhood and you're not going to get it back. But Lux is fourteen years old. Kids are very tough to deal with at that age, and the last thing that she needs is someone she just met giving her everything that she wants. It's understandable that you want to spoil her, but if you ever want her to take you seriously, that's the first thing you need to stop doing. She's not going to respect you if she knows that all she has to do is cry or say please, and you're going to give in. I'm not saying that you have to say no all of the time, but you need to feel confident in doing so, _especially_ when she's grounded. And Stef, you can't put all the blame on Mike here—"

"I'm not," I assure her.

"You both need to communicate better or Lux is going to fall right through the cracks. Your son lives here with you, is that correct?"

"Yes."

"Since Lux is staying with Mike, you cannot expect him to come to you with everything that goes on with Lux. You need to call him too; otherwise you can't blame him for making the wrong choice. There shouldn't be a difference to how she acts when she's here, versus how she is when she's with Mike, and you both need to make sure of that. If she realizes that she can get away with more stuff at Mike's, she's going to want to stay there and vice versa. She's a kid. She's not thinking about who is the better parent. She's thinking about which place she needs to stay in, that will give her the most freedom. You need to realize that that is exactly why she chose to stay at Mike's. I'm sure that it was a difficult decision for you to hear and I know that as her mother you must be upset. You have all of your children here with you, and then there's only one that decided she doesn't want to. That doesn't make you a bad parent, that doesn't mean she doesn't care or that Mike is more fun. All it means is that your daughter has a brain and is using it. Not for the right reasons of course, but she's a teenager. They're always going to look for the easy way out. And that way out is with Mike."

* * *

"And Lena, I don't know anything about you aside from what Lux overheard you say when you were defending Callie. And I won't hold it against you because I know that you said it out of hurt and your first instinct is to protect Callie. But if you want to Lux to believe you when you say that you're sorry, you have to get her to change her perception of you immediately. You have to treat her like your child and not the enemy."

"That wasn't my intention," Lena began to tear and I had to place my hand on her shoulder to try to comfort her. "She's Stef's blood and I see a little bit of Stef every time I look at her. I can't hate someone who reminds me so much of my wife."

"I don't think that you hate her. But I'm sure that Lux thinks that you do. Honestly, this is going to be the toughest for you because she doesn't know how to respond to you. You aren't her biological mother or father, and she's never been in a family setting that was run by two women. And I'm sure she's confused. Hell, most adults are confused. But what neither you nor Lux realize is that you're both going through the same thing. She's trying to figure out where she fits in, in this family and you're trying to figure out where you fit in with her, Stef, and Mike. Now, I'm not sure how involved you are in Brandon's life—"

"Very," I answer for Lena.

"And that's a good thing. I'm sure he treats you like his mother too."

"Of course," Lena remarks as she wipes a tear from her eye with her sleeve. "I've known him since he was five. He is my son."

"And it's amazing that you were able to develop a good relationship with him. I'm sure it was very difficult at first…"

"Extremely," Lena sighs as she realizes where Ferns is going with this.

"Now expect it to be twice as difficult with Lux. Because not only does she think that you have no place in her life because she isn't biologically related to you and she doesn't understand your relationship with her mother, but you've given her even more reason to think that, by saying that she wasn't your daughter. Now I've talked to Lux myself and understandably, she doesn't think you even want her here."

"That's not true," my wife tries to defend.

"I didn't think so. But you're going to have even more difficulty showing her what your place in her life is. You need to show her that you care but you cannot let her walk all over you either. You need to be just as involved with the parenting decisions as Mike and Stef are. Otherwise, she's never going to be able to learn to trust you. That means that all three of you need to talk to each other collectively and let Lux know that you're all involved in the decision-making. She needs to realize that you're all equal and not one of your opinions are considered less than the other two. And at first, she might not understand what's going on. She might fight you two on it. She might say, _why do I have to listen to Lena when she's nothing to me? _But it's your job to remind her that you're another adult in her life that she has to respect. Once Lux understands exactly what your role is, she'll come around. And don't expect it to happen spontaneously either. It will happen when it happens."

"Okay," Lena says and Mike and I both nod in agreement.

This was something that we were all still struggling to do with Brandon, so I already know that it was going to be harder with another kid in the mix.

"So what now? What do we do now?" Mike asks.

"You take what I said into consideration. But you also realize that I have to take other factors into consideration as well. Lux is a ward of the state so that means that she's also my responsibility. I'm supposed to make sure that she's in a structured and stable environment. And I'm sorry to have to say this, but right now I'm not too sure that that is what this is…"

* * *

"What?" I ask in confusion. "I don't get it… I thought you were trying to help us. Was that not what you were just trying to do here?"

"I am… You all have to know that I want Lux to have this. I can tell that you all genuinely care for her as you should, but I have to still do my job… And there are still some things that concern me…"

"Well, what are they? We can fix it. Whatever it is," Mike says sternly.

Fern sighs deeply and looks up at all of us, "From what I hear, Lux doesn't have a bed? …Now this is one of the basic requirements. The couch is okay for a temporary situation but a bed is mandatory if Lux is planning on staying here."

I start to answer, "I'm fixing—"

Mike interrupts, "That's not true. She has a bed at my place."

"Your son's bed in your son's room isn't her bed. We don't allow for different sex siblings to be in the same room and least of all sleep in the same bed. It's against the law."

"But Brandon's hardly ever there," Mike tries to defend.

"It's still not sufficient. It's my job to make sure that all of these basic requirements are met, and I can't honestly say that they are. That's a big problem. I need to make sure that there is space for Lux to live in either one of your homes and with 5 other teenagers living here and Mike's two bedroom apartment, I can't say that there is."

My heart sinks as I'm forced to listen to her words. All I needed was for another person to remind me that I couldn't provide for my family. "I'm trying to fix up the basement for her. I added a window and took out all of the junk that was down there. There just needs to be a little more work done and—"

Lena buds in, "I already picked out the bed we're going to get her. I bought the paint. I could tell that she liked the color purple because she wears those purple bracelets, and she had on a purple top the other night, remember Stef?" I nod and I'm not surprised that my wife picked up on that kind of stuff. She always paid a lot of attention to detail.

"Do you have a permit for the basement?" Fern asks out of nowhere.

"What?" I question.

"In order to put her down there, the area has to be inspected by an inspector and then approved for suitable living conditions."

"Um… No, not yet," I answer with embarrassment again. I knew that I had to do all of that but I was waiting until the basement was completed and it had only been a couple of days since I started working on it.

"So what can we do to fix this?" Lena asks. "Whatever it is, we're willing to do it."

"I will find another apartment," Mike informs her. "One with an extra bedroom."

"The living space is not the only issue at play here," Fern reminds us. " I need to take the fact that your daughter doesn't actually want to be here into consideration as well."

I couldn't believe what this woman was telling me. "So, what? Did you just give us all of this advice to just tell us that because we haven't gotten around buying a bed and because Lux doesn't want to follow our rules that you're going to take her away from us?"

"No, I gave you that advice because I want you to keep her. I want you to be able to make this work, because I know that you will be willing to make these changes so that that can happen. But I can't not do my job either. The fact of the matter is, Lux doesn't have a bed to call her own. She doesn't take any of you seriously. She doesn't even want to be here. And you don't have the space to add another family member into your home. I've read your tax forms, all of them, and you're barely making it as it is. I was bending the rules already when I placed her in your care, because I thought I was doing the right thing… But I can't keep bending the rules. And Lux can't be this unhappy."

"So what else can we do?" I ask worriedly.

"A bed for starters would be nice. I can't leave her here without an actual bed to sleep in. And Mike's apartment is out of the question, because I'm reluctant to leave her in your care after last night. And Lux has to want to stay here."

"How are we going to get her to want to stay here? We can't give her a different set of rules than our other children…"

"I don't expect you to. And I've set up therapy sessions in my office every Tuesday and Thursday at 6pm, until we can all sort this out. And hopefully this way, you all can say what you have to say in a comfortable setting. I hope that all three of you can come?"

"Yes," Lena answers before Mike and I. But we all agree.

"And eventually, I hope to incorporate your other children. I'm sure that they have their own opinions on all of this, and we want to be able to deal with everything so that there are no setbacks?"

"Of course," I answer.

* * *

"But in the meantime, I cannot allow Lux to stay here. She is my main priority and I cannot have her be miserable. Her best friend already ran away from foster-care and I don't want the same thing to happen to her. That won't do any of us any good."

"You're going to take our own daughter from us?" Mike asks. "Is this a joke?"

"I understand your frustration—"

"You understand my frustration?" Mike asks as he starts to stand up, and even though I feel the exact same way, my wife is putting pressure on my knee in an effort to calm me down too. "This can't be legal," he continues, "You can't just take our daughter, that we never gave up for adoption in the first place, away from us."

"Lux is still a ward of the state, Mike. And I need to do my job. My job is to make sure that Lux doesn't run away because I left her somewhere that she didn't want to be. Now, as soon as you have her bedroom taken care of, as soon as you three can prove to me that your willing to make this work by coming and participating in these therapy sessions, and as soon as Lux tells me that she wants to live with either one of you, I will have no problem giving you back temporary custody. And if things go well, hopefully permanent custody. But Lux is my priority here and the both of you need to realize that."

"Where are you taking her?" Lena asks for me because I can't bring myself to talk.

"Another home not too far from here. I'm not allowed to give the specifics but she's been with this family before and they would be happy to take her in, in the meantime. I will tell them about the therapy sessions and will make sure that she gets there."

"And what if the therapy sessions don't work?" I finally question. "What if she says she doesn't want to try and make this work?"

"Then, I can't force her to like you, Stef. And neither can you. Isn't that exactly what you've been trying to do? Haven't you realized that it's not working? Look, these therapy sessions are done to help all of you. And I'm honestly not even supposed to do them while she's staying with another family, but I know how tuff this situation is for all of you, and the other family knows about it. Now, perhaps this break from each other is exactly what you need... You all will be able to take care of the potential living situation, and Stef I'm leaving that mostly to you. Mike, perhaps my opinion of Lux living in your house will change but it's not what I recommend right now. And maybe Lux needs some time to cool off and she will benefit from this time apart from you all. This is a stressful situation for her too. She went to having no parents one day, to having three of them and five siblings… She needs some time to process all of the changes and maybe its best that she does that while she's living somewhere else, somewhere familiar to her… Lux is honestly not a difficult person. She's just going through a difficult time. I'm sure that she'll come around at her own pace. You three are just going to have to slow down and let her catch up. I'm sure she'll get there…"

To be continued…

* * *

**A/N: What did you think about Fern's choice? Do you think she was right? Is this exactly what Lux needs? What they all need?**

**And I promise that I didn't just do this to be a bitch. This needs to happen for other things to come out and for certain relationships to form. And any guesses as to which family Lux will be staying with? Maybe that will help you understand why this needed to happen.**


	30. Chapter 30

**Stef's POV**

I let out a deep breath and look over to Mike and Lena, both of which have the same saddened looks on their faces. "Does Lux know about these sessions?" I'm finally able to ask.

"No. Not yet. I will tell her soon. Again, this is meant to help you. _All of you_. I don't want to leave her here tonight and have to come back next week because Lux wants to leave again. And I can tell you that's exactly what is going to happen, if we don't address everything _before_ she comes back into this house," she looks at Mike.

Lena lets out a breath and looks from me and then back to Fern, "I understand what you're saying, and it makes a lot of sense but…it isn't fair."

"I know that. It's not fair. It's not fair to any one of you involved, but its what I'm recommending."

"And what if we say no," Mike starts, "What if we insert our parental rights and refuse to let you take her from us?"

"Mike, you have no parental rights. Lux has been in foster-care from age 2. You're signatures are on her birth certificate."

"Yeah, that we never signed," Mike snaps.

"Mike," I try to calm him before I glance at Fern, "There was a crime committed against us," I remind her.

"But there's no proof of a crime, Stef. There's one nurse's theory about a now-deceased doctor. Nothing has been proven, so I can't do anything about that. I'm sorry."

"Are you trying to say that she's not our daughter?" I ask in shock.

"No, I'm trying to let you know that going that route isn't the best way to go about this. I can tell that she's your daughter. The DNA proves it. But I can't leave her with you, because legally… she's not yours. And I'm not a lawyer—"

"You're right. You're not!" Mike yells.

"I never said I was. But your signatures on the birth certificates can prove to a court that you knew about her. And those same signatures on the voluntary placement agreement prove that you gave Jacqueline Jenkins authority over your daughter, who then gave ACS authority of Lux."

"What placement agreement?" Mike and I both ask in unison.

"We never signed away our rights to anyone," I continue and I can feel my blood boiling inside of me, but Lena places her hand on my lap in order to calm me down.

"That's what I have on file. See for yourselves" Fern says as she goes through her folder and pulls out a piece of paper and places it on the coffee table.

I grab it immediately, and Mike and I both stand up and scan it over, taking in it's contents. "We've never signed this." I look at her.

"Okay…" she nods her head.

"No, we've never signed this!" I repeat with even more venom in my voice.

"It's not me you have to prove, Stef. For what it's worth, I believe you. But legally, I have to go by what I'm given. Not my own gut. Your signatures on both forms are almost identical and the birth certificate was signed off and witnessed by Dr. Greene and the adoption agreement was signed and witnessed by a Mr. Patronelli."

"Well, then they're lying!" I tell her.

"How do you know that this wasn't some conspiracy scam between then both?" Mike asks. "That they weren't both getting something out of it?"

"That's something that you should talk to a lawyer about. You can file suits against both the hospital and the ACS, but until then I have to obey the law or I can lose my job or worse…"

"I can't believe this," I mumble and I have to force myself to walk away from Fern.

_This couldn't be really happening._

"I will be filing suits. You better believe that," Mike answers as he starts to walk out of the house, and I'm thankful he does because he looked as if he was two seconds away from punching the woman, and a part of me hoped that he would. But even I knew that she wasn't the problem here.

"If you two want to go that route you should," Fern tells me. "I'm just letting you know what you're up against. I can't tell you that all of this doesn't confuse the hell out of me too, but I—"

"Still have to do your job," I finish for her. "I get it."

"And I get that you all are in a difficult position, and I had no idea that you didn't know about the legal adoption. Otherwise, I would've told you when we first met." Fern starts to stand up and gather her things to leave before I stop her, "Can I talk to Lux for a minute, before…"

"Sure. I'll be waiting in the car. See you tomorrow?"

"Of course," I tell her.

"I'll show you out," Lena offers as I make my way to the kitchen to find Lux.

* * *

**Lux's POV**

I can barely hear anything that's going on because Lena practically made Callie and Mariana's my babysitters in the kitchen. _"Callie, Mariana, why don't you keep Lux company, while we wait for your mom to come back?"_ she said. I get that she didn't trust me but that was totally uncalled for. And it's not like I couldn't get around those two bobble-heads anyway. So the fact, that she thinks so less of me, is just another reason as to why I want to leave. Their constant staring at me is just another.

"What?" I finally ask with a bit of an attitude. The last thing I needed was for them to start crap with me today too.

"Nothing," Callie says as she takes a bite of her apple.

"Are you always this groggy?" Mariana asks.

"Are you always this stupid?" I retort. "Seriously, you two are practically puppets to these women. _Callie, Mariana, would you keep an eye on Lux while we wait for mom to come back?_ Don't you two have a mind of your own, or do you always do what they tell you?"

"I do what I want," the Latin girl says matter-of-factly.

"Is that why your mommy took away your soda and handed you a nice bottle of OJ instead?" I ask in a cheery voice, obviously drawing attention to the first thing that happened when we walked inside of the house.

"Orange juice is healthier for you," Mariana tries to inform me.

"So?" I ask as I grab a mug from the wall and walk towards the coffee machine to pour myself a cup from the pot Lena made for Fern.

"We're not supposed to drink coffee either," Callie buds in as she walks over toward me and tries to take my mug but I hold onto it tighter.

"Correction: the puppets and dolls are not allowed to drink coffee," I answer as I point to the two of them. "I will do as I please… Do you want a cup or not?" I ask Callie but just receive the death glare from her.

"What about you, Molly?" I ask Mariana.

"It's Mariana," she tries to correct.

"No, I meant Molly… as in the doll from the Big Comfy Couch? …The tv show? Ugh! Who cares? Do you want a cup or are you going to let your mommies dictate what you eat and drink too?"

Mariana looks at me angrily for a few seconds but eventually walks over and takes my cup. "I'd love one."

"Awesome," I say as I walk over and grab another cup and turn around to see Callie taking away Mariana's.

"Well, I would love if you wouldn't have one," she says as she dumps Mariana's cup in the sink and drops the mug in there.

"Callie, you're not allowed to dictate what I eat and drink either," Mariana asserts.

"I know. I wasn't trying to. Mariana, you can't let her get inside of your head."

"I'm right here," I inform them.

"Exactly," Callie retorts. "And I'm not about to let you drag my sister down with you."

"What am I some sort of a vampire or something?"

"I'm going upstairs," Mariana says as she grabs a soda from the fridge and walks out.

* * *

"She is so confusing," I mumble as I turn back to Callie. "What the hell is your problem?"

"You. You are my problem. Its like everywhere you go, bad things start happening. And you're not taking my sister down with you."

"Oh, I get it," I smile. _This girl really couldn't let things go, could she? _

"Get what?" she questions as she tries to look at me casually, but I could tell something was really bugging her.

"This isn't about coffee or soda… This is about Valerie and Trey…Am I right?"

"You got me and Jude kicked out of that house, remember? They took you in and you just spit all over them. You didn't care who got hurt in the process and now you're trying to do the same here. Stef actually cares about you and all you've done is make her cry since you got here. It's exactly the same thing you did to Valerie, and Jude and I got punished for it. I'm not going to let you do the same thing here. Not with my family."

"Newsflash: I don't want your family. You can have all of them. All of them," I chuckle. "And you're welcome by the way," I answer as I take a long sip of my coffee.

"For what?" she asks with just as much of an attitude as I had before.

"Getting you kicked out of the Gilberts… Look, believe it or not, I did you a favor."

"A favor?"

I sigh, "Uhuh. I know you think that what I did to Valerie and Trey was a prank or whatever but…I did what I had to do for me." I glance up at Callie and realize that she has the most confused face I've ever seen on. I take a deep breath before I continue, "You were only there for a couple of weeks, Callie. I was there for two years. I think I knew them a little more than you did. They may have seemed nice to you and…Valerie actually was. But things changed quickly after I got there, and you're lucky you got out when you did."

"So what? You did it for me? Is that what I'm supposed to believe?"

"No. I did it for me... And I'm actually glad that I got you and Jude kicked out in the process… As bitchy and selfish as that sounds, it was the only way I could convince Valerie to let me go…and I couldn't stay there anymore."

"Why not? They didn't let you drink coffee and soda?" she asks sarcastically.

"No—" I try to defend.

"Then why?" she cuts me off. "What did they do that was so bad that you had to get away from them?"

"Not both of them. Just Trey... He wasn't a good guy."

"What do you mean?" she asks, and I can tell by her sudden change in posture that she doesn't really want to know. She looks almost scared and defensive.

"You know what? Just forget it. I don't even really know what I'm talking about anyway. It was a long time ago. And…don't worry. I'm not getting either of you kicked out. Fern's actually here to pick me up. Just me."

"Why?" Callie appears puzzled. "Wait a minute. Did you call her?"

"Yeah. I did. Like, I said I don't want your family. You can have them."

"What did you tell her?" she asks in a shaky voice.

"Trust me, nothing that will ruin your chances of staying here so relax. This'll be the last time you'll ever see me again, so rest assured that I'm not going to drag anyone down with me," I smile as I take a sip of my coffee.

"You can't leave now. Stef would be devastated. You can't do that to her."

"I'm not doing anything to her," I remind her. "You can have Obsessive-Overcontrolling-Cadet-Barbie all to yourself. I don't want anything from your family, okay. I just want to find a way to keep mine. I thought you'd be happy?"

* * *

We both stop talking when we hear shoes coming down from down the hall and I assume that it's Fern and place my mug on the table. But as the footsteps get closer and closer, we both realize that it's Stef instead.

She looks toward me and then toward Callie. "Callie, can you give us a sec?" she asks softly but to me it sounded like another order.

"Yeah," Callie says as she glances over to me one last time worriedly before leaving the kitchen.

I begin to tap my fingers nervously on the kitchen counter, waiting for Stef to say something but she didn't. All she did was walk closer towards the kitchen counter and lean against it and stare down at the floor.

"Um, did Fern leave?" I ask in confusion. But in my head, I'm dreading the thought of her leaving me here._ I knew that I wouldn't stay. I'd be on the run with Tasha in a heartbeat if this didn't work._

She lifts her head up to stare at me and takes a deep breath before she finally speaks, "No, she's uh…outside waiting for you. But I'm guessing you already knew that, yes? Since you know, you're the one that called her." Stef raises her eyebrows at me, but I don't answer. _I wouldn't have to, right? It's not like I'd ever see her again._

I nod and place her phone on the table. "So, she told you?" I sigh.

"No…But you were mad at me, so I just put two and two together."

"It wasn't personal. I just realized that this… this isn't what I want," I tell her honestly. "And I kept telling you over and over and you wouldn't listen, so I had to tell someone who would. It would've never worked out and I would rather fast-forward through all of this drama for once and skip to the end. You know?" She remains quiet as I grab my bag from the floor. "I'm sorry… And can you tell Mike for me too?"

"No, I will not. And um," she coughs nervously before she continues, "…I'm sorry that you think we would just give up like that."

"Huh?" I ask in confusion.

She starts walking over toward me, and before I know it she engulfs me in the most awkward hug I've ever encountered. Out of confusion, I just stay still forgetting that I'm trying my best to get away from this woman. "We're not those other people, Lux. We are going to fight for you… even if that means fighting against you." She releases my body and stares at me for a long time, so that I could see the tears I put in her eyes. The moment makes me a little uncomfortable and I involuntarily look away.

_I didn't understand this woman at all._

_Or any of this for that matter. _

"Yeah. I should probably get going. I don't want to keep Fern waiting…" I lie.

"No, guess not," she smiles as she wipes her tears away and lets go of me completely.


	31. Chapter 31

**A/N: Damn! We passed 30 chapters. This fic was NOT supposed to be this long and I still have a lot to go over. I don't know if I'm happy or sad about it : /**

**On another note, this fic and Branded came out with the highest votes. This one had a little more so it will be my primary focus, Branded will be a close second. Since Branded is going to be shorter than this one, I might just end up finishing that one first anyway. **

* * *

**Lena's POV**

I watch as Lux leaves and to my dismay she doesn't even say anything when I try to tell her goodbye. She looks almost out of it as if she was already out of the house instead of walking down the hall. Afterwards, I watch as Stef closes the door behind her and I can tell that it's hurting her more than ever, but yet she doesn't make a sound or show almost any sign of emotion at all. _These two were more alike than I realized_, I think to myself.

"Are you okay?" I ask her, but then curse myself for asking such a stupid question out loud. _Of course she wasn't okay_. "I mean… is there anything I can do?" I ask as I rub my hand up and down her arm in an attempt to console her. "You look like you could use a hot bath," I tell her. "And some red wine?"

"No, thanks, love," she says as she gives me a quick kiss on the cheek. "I should actually get back to working on the basement. There's still a lot of work that needs to be done," she answers in a quiet voice and offers me a small and unconvincing smile before walking away.

* * *

I breathe out a huge sigh and take a seat on the couch to recuperate. I wanted nothing more than to help my wife through this, but I didn't know how to even start. And I know that I shouldn't blame myself but everything had gotten worse when Lux ran away, and _that_ was my fault. Fern reiterating my own words back to me during her visit, just made me realize that I wasn't helping anything. _How could I say something like that? And what must they all think about me?_ Certainly, they'd bring it up during our sessions but I'm not sure how I'd be able to answer to that. I'm sure that Lux wouldn't want me there in the first place, so how could I ever fix it...

I'm taken out of my thoughts when I hear the floorboards creak. Immediately, I turn to see Brandon looking in the direction that his mother had just been. Then, we hear her walking down the stairs and into the basement.

"What's going on with mom?" he asks me worriedly.

I can't blame him for being curious. I hated when Stef got like this too. The last time it happened was when we found out that Robert wouldn't sign the abandonment papers. She was feeling helpless. And frankly, so was I.

"Your mom's going to be fine… We're just…Uh," I pause because I'm not sure how much I should tell him or how much Stef prefers I tell him.

"What?" he smiles as he takes a seat on the couch across from me. "…I'm not a little kid anymore, Lena. I'll be leaving for college in a year. I can handle it," he tries to assure me. And surprisingly, I actually believe him. He probably could handle it, but I need to make sure not to tell him too much. He still reminds me of the five year old who used to try to convince Stef and I that he heard a burglar downstairs just so he could crawl into bed and sleep in between us.

I smile back, "I know, Brandon. Don't remind me," I put my hand up, not even wanting to think about him going off to college anytime soon. "There's been some issues with Lux, so her social worker thought it'd be best if she stayed somewhere else for a little while. Your mom is… taking it a little hard."

"But she shouldn't," he says casually. "Lux doesn't even want to be here. She's done nothing but run away ever since she got here. Maybe it's for the best that she leave. I mean, it's not mom's fault what happened."

"You're right. It's not your mom's fault. It's not anyone's fault for that matter, except of course the doctor who started this whole mess. But…what do think would happen if it were you or any of you other kids? …Do you think mom would just give up?" I try to ask Brandon, to get him to see where we were all coming from. "Lux is her daughter, Brandon. Your sister… We don't give up on family. If we haven't taught you anything else, it's that."

"I get that, but she doesn't want to live here."

"Neither did you at one point, if I recall correctly? And neither did Callie… Even Jesus and Mariana threatened to run away at one point, remember that?" I laugh and I'm glad that I receive a chuckle from him in return.

"How could I forget? It was my fault for making Mariana cry. I thought Jesus would punch me in the face that day. Even at 12 years old, I was still scared of him."

"Well, he was protecting his sister," I try to remind him.

"Our sister," Brandon corrects, just as I thought he would.

"Well, mom's trying to protect yours right now," I let him know. And I can see that some level of understanding is going on in his mind. "So are you going to be Lux's _Jesus_ or… are you going to be Brandon again?"

"…So...what can I do?" he asks and I can tell his offer is genuine.

"For now, just be there for your mom… She's fixing up the basement right now, and maybe you could—"

"Help out?" he nods understandably.

"Yes," I smile. "I'm sure she could use us right now. _All of us_. I know that not everybody is on board with this whole Lux moving in here thing but—"

"She's family. Our sister," he smiles awkwardly. "So…Is that ever going to stop sounding weird?" he asks me which causes me to laugh.

"I don't know. Did it stop sounding weird for Mariana and Callie?"

"Gotcha," he answers as he gets up and leaves the living room.

* * *

**Lux's POV**

"Are you okay?" Fern asks, and I realize that I haven't said a thing since I got into the car. I had been too busy running over everything that happened since I met these people in my mind.

_They were nice for the most part, but I couldn't go back._

_I already told Callie that she had nothing to worry about._

_But what I couldn't understand was why the last thing Stef had said to me was still running over an over again through my head._

"Yeah, I'm fine," I lie. And I think I've said it enough times to really believe it too.

"Good. Because there's a few things I want to talk to you about…"

"Great," I state sarcastically. "What's up?"

"Well, first off… I want you to know that what you did to this family wasn't very nice, Lux. I didn't enjoy taking you away from _your own_ parents. I hope you know that. You don't get to use me as an out, because you're not getting along with them—"

"I wasn't."

"Let me finish," she interrupts. "I know that this is difficult for you, and I know that I haven't been your social worker for very long, but I also need you to know that I'm on your side…"

"Uhuh?"

"But don't try to take advantage of me," she eyes me sternly.

"Got it."

"Good. Because you can't," she continues matter-of-factly.

"Oookkay…" I roll my eyes but luckily she doesn't see it.

"And I need to let you know that every Tuesday and Thursday you're going to come and see me."

"For what?" I ask in confusion. "Like a check-in kind of thing. Because you see, there are these devices called _phones_, which allow people to communicate with one another without actually seeing the other person."

"Don't be smart-aleck, Lux," she points her index finger at me, which causes me to shut up. "And it's not exactly a check-in kind of thing…"

"Then what is it?" I take a few seconds to actually register what she's saying. "Wait what? Like therapy?"

"Yes."

"No way," I cross my arms over my chest and try to keep my head straight.

"You don't have a choice in the matter, Lux. If I'm working with you, you have to work with me too."

"What do I need therapy for? I didn't even do anything."

"Or would you rather I take you back to the Adams Fosters now? Your choice…"

"Fine," I tell her out of annoyance. "I got it. Just don't be surprised when I don't say anything, is all," I tell her matter-of-factly. "…And where are we going?" I ask her once I realize that we've been driving for a while and I have no idea where I am.

* * *

"Well, that's something else I wanted to talk to you about…"

"Whoopee. Another surprise," I say unenergetically. "I cannot wait to find out what this one is."

"Are you always such great company to have around?" Fern smiles and I give her a fake one back. But the truth was I actually liked Fern out of all my other social workers. She always answered the phone when I called. Unlike the other fatso James who would call me back days later when I didn't even need him anymore, I could tell Fern cared. "Lux, I want to talk to you about where you're staying…"

"Okay?" I ask reluctantly.

"So, since this was such short notice and since you've already have a history with the Gilberts, I thought—"

"Whoa. Wait. The Gilberts?" I stop her. "The Gilberts…as in Valerie and Trey? Wh—why would they… I don't…"

_This could not be really happening._

"They came looking for you. A short while after they put you back into the system, but you were already living with Christy so I couldn't do anything about it. I know that two years was a long time ago and I don't expect y…"

"It was a very long time ago," I interrupt.

I listen to Fern as she takes a deep breath before she continues, "Lux… is there another reason why you aren't happy about this. Because from what I have on file, you seemed very happy there. It says that you lived with Valerie and Trey for two years. I can't help but notice that's a much longer time than you have lived in any other home and you were hardly a troublemaker…"

"I know but…isn't there some other place I could go? Some other family that I don't already have a history with?"

"For tonight? No. Not unless… Why don't you want to stay with Trey and Valerie? They really miss you, Lux. And they're willing to put the past aside, so you don't have to worry about what you did back then…"

_Why don't you want to stay with Trey and Valerie? _

_The question repeats in my head over and over again._

_Part of me wants to scream at her exactly why._

_BECAUSE HE RAPED ME!_

_But I knew better than to tell the truth anymore. Valerie, my own mother, wouldn't even believe me, so why would Fern?_

I knew these types of cases practically get thrown own without any direct evidence. I watched enough law and order to know that when you cry rape years after the fact no body believes you.

_So why would they believe me now?_

And the worst part about all of this was that I almost smiled when I heard her name.

_How does that make any sense?_

_I actually want to see her. _

_I miss that woman more than I have ever missed anything. _

_More than I miss Bug._

_But this time she wants me back_. She actually went looking for me soon after she got rid of me. _That's got to count for something right?_

"Lux?" Fern asks and for a while I'm not even sure how long I have zoned out.

"Yeah?"

"Are you okay with staying at the Gilberts?"

_Can I really say no?_ I want to answer.

_I can't go back to Stef and Mike's, especially after everything that's happened._

"Yeah," I answer casually. "Why wouldn't I be?"

To be continued…


	32. Chapter 32

**A/N: So apparently I still have readers that are still stuck on what happened in Life Unexpected to expect anything even remotely different. I am well aware that Trey didn't actually "rape" Lux in the show**_**. Yes, I have watched it -_- Both seasons. More than once.**_** However, I will remind you that they never really asked Lux about it and she never said she wasn't raped, so there was still a possibility. I have been dropping hints all over this fic, leading to that revelation, so you guys should've already realized where I was going with it. I've left plenty of author's notes (see chapters 6, 8, 16, 17, 28, 30) letting you know that I have tweaked a lot of what happened in Life Unexpected. I figured that 31 chapters in, you would have realized that by now... **

**Also, I **_**specifically**_** said that I would tweak the Valerie and Trey situation in an author's note in Chapter 16. In addition, I hinted what happened between them in my fic **_**Repentance**_**. All of these explanations are really tiring for me. Not only do I have to go back and figure out exactly where and how many times I've said it, but I'm sure those of you who are actually bothering to read thoroughly are getting annoyed too (I deeply apologize). I just don't think this fic should be called **_**shady**_** for doing this. ESPECIALLY, when I kept repeating myself **_**again**_** and **_**again**_** so it was quite obvious after a while. No one should've been really surprised. **

**Remember: I HAVE CHANGED A LOT OF WHAT HAPPENED TO LUX IN LIFE UNEXPECTED. A LOT OF WHAT HAPPENED WITH LUX IN THAT SHOW IS VERY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT HAS HAPPENED HERE. **

**Examples: **

**Lux wasn't mistaken for a stillborn**

**Bug didn't leave this early **

**Lux wasn't denied emancipation by the court **

**She didn't steal her birth certificate from the hospital**

**Her parents hadn't met up with her at the courthouse and blackmailed her into going home with one of them**

**Tasha didn't know what happened between Lux and Trey in the show, whereas here she does**

**Lux didn't meet Callie and Jude and get them kicked out**

**The flashbacks with Trey and Valerie didn't happen and were pretty obvious clues that I was going to delve deeper into that and mix it up. **

**Lux didn't sleepover at Eric's **

**She didn't meet Valerie at the supermarket**

**Tasha didn't take her to a bar and get drunk **

**She wasn't taken away from her parents by Fern because of that**

**Fern didn't take her back to Trey and Valerie's house**

**ETC. ETC. I'm sure there were many more differences that I can't get off the top of my tongue right now.**

**The point is, out of all these differences that you've read so far, I find it hard to believe that someone is suddenly surprised that I'm still switching it up. Honestly, I'm rather confused. This is fanfiction, right? **

**Don't get me wrong I support constructive criticism when it's there to help me out on what I need to work on, but criticism based on the readers not reading carefully is just…wow. Just wow… **

**Seriously though, I don't want to write the same stuff that happened in the show, but just add Stef and Mike into the dialogue instead of Cate and Baze. I don't like getting repetitive, and I enjoy taking a different route with pretty much everything I write. How many of you really want to read a repeat of what happened in the show? Because if that's what you want, stop reading now and watch re-runs. I promise that I **_**will**_** disappoint you. This is exactly why I'm reluctant to label this as a crossover. I don't know how many times I have to explain it…I just….Ugh!**

**IN ADDITION, ALL DRASTIC OCCURRENCES THAT HAPPEN IN THIS FIC SERVE A PURPOSE. I know some of you are upset that I had Fern take Lux away, but hopefully this chapter and the ones following it will get you to see why this is for the better.**

**This will be the last long-ass author's note I write, because I'm tired of repeating the same thing and am annoyed with myself as well. Now, this chapter is probably going to be shorter because I've had to do this and am exhausted already. But from now on, I'll just add the same short a/n in caps to every chapter.**

* * *

**Lena's POV**

I watch as Brandon walks away and I take a deep breath before making my way down the stairs and into the basement. When I finally spot my wife, I can see that she's scraping away vigorously at the wall with a paint scraper. It's obvious that she's in a rush or pissed off or probably both.

I hate when she gets like this. It makes me feel so useless. She never wants to talk to me about what's bothering her, and it's what I'm here for.

She just keeps herself busy and pretends her problems aren't real. Like they can be whisked away if she focused on fixing the house enough or picking up extra shifts or off duty work. It was a crappy coping mechanism to me, and I've talked to her plenty of times about it but she hasn't stopped.

And rather than start an argument with her that would lead to nowhere, I glance around the room and look at the empty boxes of junk that we took out of the garage last year and placed in here… massive spider webs, which are the same sizes as our flat-screen in our bedroom, on all four corners of the basement… and multiple wooden shelves that would need to be removed by sledgehammers most likely. It dawns on me that we're really nowhere near finishing.

But instead of focusing on that, I try to be there for my wife the best way that I could.

_Her way_.

I pick up another paint scraper and walk over beside her and start scraping the paint off the wall too.

Suddenly, I can hear her hand movements soften and her head turn to meet my eyes. "Thanks, love," she said with a half-smile while I nod in response.

* * *

**Callie's POV**

_What was wrong with me? I, of all people, should've see what was happening. _

_Especially after Liam._

_I hate to think that the same thing happened to Lux._

_Maybe not… Maybe it wasn't that bad. Maybe he was like our last foster-father instead. He might not have done what I'm thinking…_

_So why do I feel so guilty for hating her now?_

_And why would she do that to Stef after all of this. Where would she go? This was the only place I really felt safe, in a really long time. Was I stupid for wanting her to stay?_

When I walk into my room, I see Mariana opening up her laptop and giving me a dirty look as I enter. I take in a deep breath to apologize, but she opens her mouth first.

"Look, Callie. I get that Lux is trying to get under your skin or whatever but that doesn't mean you can boss me around. You're not moms so stop treating me like they do. Just because you're one year older does—"

"You're right. I'm sorry," I interrupt. "It won't happen again," I tell her sincerely.

Her face freezes for a few seconds. "Okay," she nods once. "Good. Because I can take care of myself, you know. I mean," she smiles, "after all I've done, do you really think moms would send me away for drinking a cup of coffee?"

I chuckle, "You're right. Probably not."

"Definitely not," she assures me. "They wouldn't send you away either. You know that."

"Yes, I know."

"However… Idon'knowaboutLux. It sounds like they won't send her packing any time soon… unfortunately."

"Uh, I don't think we have to worry about that," I start. Mariana squints her eyes at me. "Um, …Lux called her social worker and asked for another placement. So you don't have to try and get rid of her anymore," I give her a half-smile.

"Oh…Well, I wasn't trying to get rid of her really, I was just…" Mariana paused. "So she's really gone?"

"I think so," I answer almost emotionless.

"Well, maybe its for the best," Mariana shrugs her shoulders. "Moms would've had a hard time getting her under control… And I was getting tired of seeing Stef cry and look stressed out over someone she barely knows—"

"Hey," we both hear a voice and watch as the door flies open and Brandon walks in. "Come on. Let's go," he says.

"Uh, rude much?" Mariana starts.

"Go where?" I ask.

"We're going to go help mom fix up the basement."

"Wait, didn't she leave?" I question.

"Lux got picked up and she's going to stay somewhere temporarily I guess…"

"Temporarily?" Mariana looks at me and then at Brandon. "I never heard of that…"

"Well, I guess moms have a way… They need to fix the basement up first I think."

"And what? We just have to help?" Mariana asks sarcastically.

"Mariana," I try to relax her.

"What? Look, no way. I have more important stuff to do. My life doesn't revolve around Lux… It's like even when she's not here, she's the center of attention."

"So it's not you for a change?" Brandon spits back.

"Excuse me?" Mariana retorts.

"You heard me. It's like ever since Lux has gotten here you've been like this jealous psycho or something?"

"Oh, I am not jealous!"

"Of course not…"

"Guys," I try to calm them both.

"Why are you taking her side?" Mariana yells at him. "You're supposed to be _my_ brother. Since when are you on the same team as Lux?"

I take a deep breath and let it out.

"I'm not on the same team as anyone. I'm trying to make mom happy. This isn't about anyone but her, okay. "

"You know what? Brandon's right," I tell Mariana. "And you know I hate picking sides but I think we've all been a little selfish. I'm not going to lie. I wanted her gone even more than you did, especially when I found out who she was… But Lux leaving has helped me realize that we were all only thinking about ourselves…And if you really think about it, she's not really that bad—"

"Callie, do I really have to remind you that she got you and Jude kicked out of your old foster home?" Mariana asked sarcastically.

"Maybe that was a good thing… I mean, I didn't know those people very well… and I wouldn't have gone to juvie… and Lena wouldn't have taken me home. Then, I wouldn't have met either of you," I smile. "And you have to admit, Stef was pretty upset when she didn't know where Lux was for a day. I'm sure she's not taking this as easy as you are… I'm not saying you have to be best friends with her or anything, but maybe you can…tolerate her at least. For Stef?"

Mariana takes in a deep breath and I can tell that she's considering it.

"And me," Brandon buds in. "I mean, honestly I have enough sisters in my life right now. Believe me I do—"

"Get to the point, Brandon," I warn jokingly.

He smiles, "My point is that…I kind of want to get to know her too. No one can ever replace you two and having another girl to screw up our already tainted voting system on movie-night is going to suck, but I really think mom wants this... Why else would she be putting up with her snotty comments?"

"True," I agree. "But I have a feeling that moms aren't going to be putting up with that for too long. Newbies need some leeway but there's only so much they can take. We're going to have to train her," I say as I look specifically at Mariana. "And that's where you come in…"

"Me?" she asks skeptically. "No way. Why me?"

"Because you're a girl," Brandon says.

"So? She's your blood sister," Mariana responds.

"Who else knows your moms like the back of her hand?"

"…Like Lux will ever listen to me."

"She has to. You're her older sister by definition," Brandon tells her.

"Like I listen to Callie?" Mariana asks sarcastically.

"You did downstairs when I told you that you couldn't drink coffee," I smile.

"…Oh crap, I did," she realizes and her expression suddenly saddens.

I quickly get up to sit next to her, grabbing her shoulder and bringing her closer to me. "And that's okay, because that's what little sisters do. They listen to their much smarter older ones."

"I hate you," she mumbles.

"And I love you too," I answer as I pat her back. "The point is, being an older sister to another sister has its perks. Embrace the title," I finish as I stand up and start to follow Brandon.

"Embrace this!" Mariana retorts as she hurls her pillow to my back before I make my way out the door.

"Ouch! Okay…" I start as I pick up the same pillow and attack her with it.

"Uh? The basement?" Brandon asks in confusion.

"We'll be right there!" Mariana yells back.

To be continued…


	33. Chapter 33

**A/N: I HAVE CHANGED A LOT OF EVENTS FROM LIFE UNEXPECTED. WHAT HAPPENED TO LUX IN THAT SHOW IS VERY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT HAPPENED HERE. AND ALL DRASTIC OCCURANCES THAT OCCUR IN THIS FIC SERVE A PURPOSE.**

**On another note, I appreciate some of my readers for trying to defend me when it comes to plagiarism, but if you have any concerns, I would prefer you contact me rather than making rude comments to other writers. It's very hurtful to the other writer and it makes me look bad too in a way. It's not uncommon for two writers to have similar ideas and personally, I could understand reading so many fics that you don't even realize when you're copying someone because so many different ideas are embedded into your mind. I've dealt more serious issues of plagiarism, to the point where a certain writer took my story practically "word-for-word" and reposted it. If I can get passed that, I can get passed a few common ideas being lifted from me. BUT that doesn't mean, I'm giving everyone permission to plagiarize me lol. PLEASE DON'T DO THAT. But if you've read my fic and realize that things are a little similar, it'd be nice to throw my penname in there somewhere so that I DON'T GET ACCUSED OF PLAGIARIZING YOU** **and letting me know. The writer that received reviews regarding plagiarizing this story has personally contacted me and we were able to resolve the issue on a peaceful level. I fully support her story and would appreciate if you guys cut her some slack. She didn't mean to do it and mistakes happen. She switched it up, which was something that she didn't have to do.**

**Just yesterday, I started a new fic with Dramatic-ADD-Having-ass-Writer (Love her name btw) and we got accused of plagiarizing too… Please let me know where the fic is where Stef had a bio daughter that was kidnapped at 5 years old by a strange woman, and when she was finally found, she was 15 and pregnant? Seriously, I want to know. Because I would prefer to read this story that's so similar rather than write it. I admit that I haven't read all of the fics in this archive, so if one is out there, leave a review or pm me letting me know. The only one I could think of that is remotely similar is this one, and I don't think I can get accused of plagiarizing myself? And that fic is going to be completely different than this one and we made sure of it. The fic is called "Finding Crystal" in case you're interested.**

**Hafjhajkfjkajajfkhnjagheuifhauihfauihjskhauilhf… CLEAR YOUR MIND SO THAT YOU CAN CONTINUE READING IF YOU READ THAT LONG A/N :P**

* * *

**Lux's POV**

As soon as Fern pulls up in front of Trey and Valerie's house, I feel this cold and eerie feeling go up my spine at the sight of it.

It wasn't how I left it at all. The baby pink colored house was now all white. There were no red and black spray-painted designs covering all of the sides of the house anymore.

The front window that Bug smashed in was repaired and the plants weren't overgrowing around the fence that surrounded it either. It looked completely redone.

"Are you coming?" Fern asks with a smile and I turn around to see that she was already out of the car.

"Um… yeah," I answer as I grab my bag from the floor and open the passenger-side door.

_Karma truly was a bitch in every way,_ I realize.

_I asked to get taken out of Stef and Mike's temporary custody just to get thrown in with Trey and Valerie. And part of me can't help but think that I deserve this._

No amount of repainting or lawn mowing could change how I felt about those two people in that house. I want to turn back around and lock myself inside of Fern's car but I knew that wasn't a viable option.

So instead, I take a deep breath and follow Fern up the walkway and the steps, wanting so badly to just hide myself behind her. At this point, running away with Tasha sounded like and brilliant idea but that would only get us both thrown in jail most likely.

Jail… or this house? I weigh the differences in my mind as Fern raises her fist to knock on the door.

_If Tasha and I run away we wouldn't have to run for very long. I could try to get emancipated again and we could hope that would work._

_But if it doesn't, we would already be at the courthouse and could get locked up on the spot, right?_

_And even if it does work, could we still go to jail for running away when we weren't viewed as adults even thought we technically were?_

"Relax Lux," she tries to coo. "Things are going to be just fine. Two years was a long time ago…"

I don't respond, aside from a hesitant nod, which I'm not even sure what I meant by. _This woman is clueless. This was the exact opposite of fine._

"You have my number?"

_That's what got me into this whole mess…_

"Yes," I answer instead.

"And if you need anything, don't be afraid to call me or ask the Gilberts."

* * *

And with that last thought the door swings open, and I can see Valerie staring at both of us but mostly me. "Lux, hi," she finally greets with a genuine smile and I'm honestly confused about how I should react.

_Why am I confused?_

_I wanted to hate her, sure. For not believing me…for choosing her husband over someone she called her own 'daughter'… for making me believe that she really cared about me and then throwing me away like I was absolutely nothing._

I remember everything… And still, I keep repeating the reasons why I should keep my distance. I had been doing so ever since that day at the hospital. I reiterated them again in my mind on the drive over here. _So why was her sudden presence making me want to forget everything? _

After a long pause, I finally respond with a simple, "Hi."

"Come in, come in," Valerie says as she opens the door wider so that Fern and I could enter. "Hello Fern? You're Lux's new social worker, right?" She holds out her hand for Fern to shake and Fern does the same.

"Yes. We spoke on the phone," she nods. "But I actually have a meeting with another one of my cases that I have to get to. I already informed you that this was and emergency placement, and I don't mean to be unprofessional but… Are you two going to be alright if I–"

"Yes, of course. I completely understand," Valerie offers. "It's not like we don't know Lux already…" she jokes.

"Yes… and thank you for this again. You have no idea how relieved I was to hear that you and your husband were able to take her in under the circumstances."

"Oh absolutely. We love Lux very much," Valerie answers and I can't help but feel that it was a lie and only she didn't even know it.

"I'm glad. And Lux are you okay with this?" Fern questions.

"Yeah. I'm fine," I give her a small smile.

"Okay great." Fern looks over to Valerie again, "And you know where the building is for her session tomorrow?"

"Uh, yes. At 6pm. Tuesdays and…"

"Thursdays," Fern confirms. "Yes. If for whatever reason you can't make it or you have any problems, here's my card," Fern pulls out a business card from the pocket of her brown blazer. "My extension is written on the back."

"Okay. Thank you, Fern."

"No, thank you. I'll see you tomorrow, Lux. Okay," she says as she pats my shoulder.

"Uhuh. Bye," I tell her, suddenly feeling the awkwardness as I watch her walk away and leave Valerie and I alone.

It wasn't that I was scared of her. I wasn't even sure that I was scared of Trey anymore. The two years that I was basically on my own definitely took a toll on me and changed my attitude. A LOT. But I didn't want to be alone with her because I didn't think I could handle getting her back and then losing her. Losing her the first time really wrecked me. _Why would I risk it happening again? _That one reason why I tried to hate Stef so much.

Everything was so much easier when I just had Bug and Tash.

* * *

"Come on in," Valerie offers and I take a breath and do just that. "I was actually almost done with dinner. You came just in time… Wait have you already eaten?" she asks in a worried tone. "I made your favorite. Artichoke and spinach lasagna. You still like that, right?" She closes the door behind me and points me over to the kitchen.

"Sure," I answer with an honest smile this time. I hate myself immediately afterwards though. _It couldn't really be that easy to gain my trust back, so why am I giving in? _

_What the hell is wrong with me?_

"Thank heavens. I wanted to make your first day back perfect," she continues as I watch her pull the glass pan out of the oven and place it on the stove. I'm honestly just waiting for her to bring up what I did to her house at any second…She doesn't. "Lux, I wanted to make you something that you were familiar with. I want you to feel as comfortable here as possible. Fern told me that you've had a few placements since you left, so I just thought…" she pauses for a while and just stares at the pan. And right afterwards she turns around and walks over to the fridge, "You still like extra cheese right?"

"Um, yeah," I answer as I look around the kitchen. It was so weird to me how familiar it was but I couldn't quite figure out what was different.

Valerie notices and practically reads my mind. "We painted it yellow. It was beige before."

I nod, "It's nice." But in all honestly it looked horrific though I couldn't tell her that. I felt like I was in a giant bottle of mustard.

"Have a seat," she says as she points towards the table. "We just have to wait a little for the food to cool. Can I get you something a drink? Iced tea or regular tea…Maybe coffee?"

"Oh iced tea's sounds good."

"But I bet an ice-cold beer sounds even better," I hear a voice come from behind me and I don't have to look to know whose it is.

"Trey," Valerie mumbles.

"What? Lux, you're what 16 now? I'm pretty sure she can handle a beer with dinner," he chuckles. "Right, Lux?"

I cough nervously before I could answer, mainly because I'm not sure how to. "Um, I'm okay with iced tea. Really."

"Smart girl," Valerie praises. "And she's 14, Trey not 16. Her birthday just past."

"14, 16, same difference," Trey mutters as he opens the fridge and grabs a beer.

And I can't help but be surprised that Valerie still remembers my birthday, or my age for that matter…

"How was your birthday this year, Lux? I've been meaning to ask you. Did you do anything exciting?" she asks.

_If you call having my biological parents showing up at the courthouse, blackmailing me, and ruining my lifelong plans exciting, then yeah_, I want to say but instead I shrug my shoulders. "Not really."

"No? Your foster parents didn't celebrate it?" she asks in a depressed voice.

"Um—" I start awkwardly.

"No, I meant your biological parents. I'm sorry. I forgot," she says in an apologetic tone.

"No, it's okay," I assure her. "I forget sometimes too."

"Yeah, I've been meaning to ask you," Trey starts. "How'd that happen? Did you go looking for them or someth—"

"Honey," Valerie shakes her head no.

"What? I can't ask a simple question."

"She just got here, Trey. Can we at least have dinner first before we start interrogating the poor thing?" she smiles.

"Alright. Lux, we'll talk later… And then maybe we can figure out how exactly we're going to celebrate your belated birthday. Because obviously, these parents of yours seem pretty useless if you ask me."

"Trey," Valerie shuts her eyes in embarassment.

"I'm just joking, Val. Can't you take a joke? …Lux, you know that I'm joking right?"

I nod and give him a simple, "yeah." The last thing I wanted was to be in the room with him and listen to him attempt to make things _good_ between us. They never were. "Hey, is it okay if I go to the bathroom for a sec?" I ask.

"Sure. You know where it is," Valerie smiles.

* * *

"Uhm," I answer as I already begin practically running toward that direction. The second I close the door behind me, turn on the light and lock the door, I'm finally able to breathe out a huge sigh of relief. _I don't think I can handle this_, is my first thought.

_Everything about that man repulses me and he can just act as if nothing ever happened? As if he was doing me a favor by bringing up my birthday?_ The last thing I ever wanted was to accept anything from him or from anyone for that matter. I hated depending on people, which was just another reason why I pushed Stef and Mike away…

Well mainly just Stef… Part of me had this uncontrollable rage toward her even before I met her. It was something that probably made no logical sense at all but I needed that rage.

Holding onto it was the only thing that got me through a lot of my past. Letting it go would just cause me to fall apart and I knew it.

Immediately I turn on the sink and make sure only to turn the hot water knob to the left. I burn my fingertips and immediately extract them from the running water.

_I forgot the hot water here was always scorching_.

I turn the cold water knob just a little so that I wouldn't burn my hands off. _I wanted to feel pain but not that much. _

And when the water becomes just a little bit bearable I place my hands back under the faucet and lean my body against the sink. I blink my tears back and take in another breath.

_This won't be that bad, right? Trey waited almost two years before he did what he did the first time. He wouldn't be stupid enough to try anything as soon as I get back. _I shake my thoughts away. _Maybe he wouldn't try anything at all. _

_Maybe this time would be different._

_Even if I was lying to myself, it was better than admitting the truth. That I was just as sick as he was for coming back for more. How pathetic was I to deal with this all over again? _

I stop my train of thoughts at the sound of something vibrating in my bag. I glance at it in confusion and immediately remove my reddened hands from under the sink and dry them with the hand towel. As soon as they're dry enough, I bend down to grab my bag from the floor and open it, only to find a bright screen that's lit up.

_What the hell? _I wonder. I positively remember leaving Stef's cellphone on the table before I left. How would it have gotten in my bag? I wonder.

But then Stef's awkward hug makes sense to me, the second I read the text message: **Please keep this phone on you at all times. You don't have to call me or even respond to me at all. But if you do want to, just know that I'm a button away. Be safe. —Stef.**

I reread the message about five times before I hit the textbox to reply. **I'm sorry** is what I type almost instinctively. But rather than send it, I hit the backspace 9 times and just stare at the screen.

I could almost see the word "PATHETIC" written all over it. And it just makes me want to smash it to pieces and watch them as they all flush down the toilet. But before I get to break it, I receive another text message.

**Up for some real taking control? I promised that next time would be more fun :) —Eric.**

Any control seemed like a good idea at this moment I rationalize. **Where should we meet? **I quickly reply before I'd get a chance to take it back…

To be continued.


	34. Chapter 34

**A/N: I'VE CHANGED A LOT OF EVENTS FROM LIFE UNEXPECTED. WHAT HAPPENED TO LUX IN THAT SHOW IS VERY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT HAPPENED HERE. AND ALL DRASTIC OCCURANCES THAT OCCUR IN THIS FIC SERVE A PURPOSE.**

* * *

**Lux's POV**

I needed to get out of Trey's sight as soon as possible… So when Eric texted me, I couldn't help but jump at the idea of leaving their house. It was either that or feeling like I had to vomit for hours… And I surprisingly did have a good time with Eric that night, even though all we did was play cards. He was a nice guy… and after what Bug did to me, I was not going to search for someone else like him.

When I told Valerie I wanted to go out after dinner, she was pretty cool about it. She even offered to give me a ride, but I thought it was best not to ask for a ride to a bar. That would have been the dumbest move ever. I ended up making some excuse up about wanting the exercise. And just like I remembered, she told me to be back before midnight.

_Now, that I can do_.

"Do you wanna tell me where we're going?" I ask Eric the second he pulls his car out of the driveway.

"It's a surprise," he says matter-of-factly.

"You know… I don't know about you but most women hate surprises."

"Well, you should've thought about that before you slept over a stranger's house last night and got into his car a few minutes ago."

"Well, I was drunk last night."

"So you were schnookered?," he asks with a smile.

I furrow my eyebrows at him, "Huh?"

He looks embarrassed for a second. "Oh, uh, I'm sorry. That's how we describe people who are ridiculously drunk in Minnesota."

"Minnesota?" I smile. "What? You're not from here?"

"No."

"But you talk so… normal?" I ask in confusion.

"So… people who are not from here are abnormal?" he asks rhetorically.

"Oh God no! That came out wrong. I'm always doing that," I shake my head.

"It's okay. I'm just kidding. I get what you mean."

"Oh," I answer stupidly.

"Yeah, well Minnesota isn't in the south so—"

I chuckle, "Well, I was never really good with geography," I admit. And that's when I realize that he pulls into a parking lot. "Uh," my face straightens as I look around, "…which is why I'm going to just go ahead and ask… Where the hell are we?"

"You still don't know?" he questions.

"Why would I ask if I didn't know?"

Eric smiles and shuts off his engine. "Come on," he says as he opens his car door and gets out. I instinctively do the same.

* * *

"Eric… um, has anyone ever told you that you're the strangest person alive?" I ask as I follow him down the street, all the while considering stopping and making a run for it in the opposite direction.

"Nope."

"Uhuh," I mumble in disbelief, "And you do know that you surprising me with whatever it is that you're surprising me with is the exact opposite of making me feel like I'm in control, right?"

"Nope. Wanna know why?"

"Sure," I nod.

"Because you don't have to follow me."

"Excuse me?" I question.

"You heard me. You showed up at my apartment…got into my car… and now you're following me even though you have no idea where the heck I'm going. You could have chosen to stay in the car or forced me to take you home, but you didn't."

"Well, should I have?" I ask with a small hint of fear in my voice. But all in all, I was more confused than anything.

"That's still up to you," he says as he starts to speed up his walking.

"Now, you're not going to walk for an hour to nowhere just to see how long I follow you… Are you?" I ask as I pick up my speed a little, while I wait for an answer. "Hello?!" I yell out of nervousness.

After a few more seconds of walking he comes to a stop, "We're here."

* * *

**Stef's POV**

I can almost feel my heart starting to pump out of my chest when I complete painting the first coat of the basement by myself. I hadn't stopped working on it since Lux had left but all I knew was that I _had_ to finish.

"Stef?" I hear Lena's voice creep up behind me but I still don't stop.

"Yes, love?" I ask as I peek a quick glance at her, before I dip my roller back into the purple paint.

"Honey, when did you go out and buy paint?" she asks in an exasperated voice.

"Oh…" I start. "Uh, a couple of hours ago… You know, I figured if I start painting today then it won't be completely dry for at least 24 hours so," I shrug my shoulders.

"That's true, but you shouldn't apply the second coat until 24 hours after you've applied the first coat—"

"That's 48 hours," I shake my head in resistance. "That's too long. I'd rather just apply both now, so that we can start getting the furniture in here sooner and call the inspector tomorrow."

"You're calling the inspector tomorrow?" my wife asks in confusion.

"Well, yes, Lena. I told you that I wanted to fix everything down here as soon as possible. Lux can't come back until cps, or _Fern_, sees that she has somewhere to _come back to_. If I don't have this room finished soon, then…" I stop as I picture the possibilities, none of them good. "…I have to finish. It doesn't matter. I promise not to wake the kids and start hammering up a storm. Okay?"

"No, not okay," she shakes her head and gives me an opposing look.

"What?" I challenge as I squint my face at her.

"You can't do all of this tonight, Stef. You'll wear yourself out, not to mention you have work in the morning…"

"I know that. I'm still going to work. Don't worry. I just—I need to do this… You wouldn't understand."

"Then, help me understand," she says sternly.

I shake my head and continue to stroke the paint roller on the wall. I'm trying my best not to answer her but my exhaustion from staying up all night yesterday was getting to me. "… I haven't done anything, Lena. Don't you get that? I've known about Lux for days and I couldn't even get her a bed," I state sarcastically. "You heard what that woman said. I can't even provide my own child with the basic necessities!"

"Stef."

* * *

"I was going to have her sleep on our couch!" I continue. "What kind of mother am I?"

"That's not your fault, Stef. You didn't know about any of this. And Lux was staying with Mike. She wanted to stay with Mike, remember? There were other factors at play here than what you keep telling yourself—"

"It's no wonder she wanted to continue living with her boyfriend," I interrupt. "…or why she stayed at her friend's house last night instead of mine or Mike's. A—A 17 year old dropout can take care of my daughter better than I can—"

"There was too much going on," Lena raises her voice. "You were too busy dealing with Lux to worry about how many hours it would take for paint to dry. She was acting out."

I sigh deeply, silently wondering why she couldn't just admit the truth.

My wife looks at me for a while before continued ranting, "Stef, she stole records from the hospital and tried to get emancipated without either your or Mike's permission. She chose Mike instead of you, which I know must have been painful to deal with _but you did_. She's been ditching school. And let me tell you, I've seen her attendance record. It's not great… But that's a whole other issue and I'm getting off track here. Although, let's not forget that we found out what happened between her and Callie. To make matters worse, I messed up with her too, which caused her to runaway. And just last night, she went AWOL again and then..."

"Please stop," I tell her, not wanting to believe that my kid really went to a bar last night and slept over a strange man's house. I really wanted to think that it was just a ploy to get Fern to take her out of our custody.

"The point is: it's been less than a week Stef, you need time to adjust…"

"Lux is gone!" I repeat. _Why wasn't she understanding this?_ I wonder

"Honey, I get that. But you need to realize that finishing this room isn't going to bring her back. Fern already told us that Lux needs _to want_ to be here. And I know this is difficult for you to hear, but obsessing over this is not healthy for anyone."

"I know that she doesn't want to be here, Lena! She called cps on me because she wanted to get away from me so bad! You don't think I've realized that? Do you really think that I don't see the hate in her eyes every time she's in my presence?"

"Stef," Lena says as she tries to reach for my arm but I wont let her.

"No. You don't get to make me feel better. You can't fix this, Lena. So just stop."

"And you can't fix it by painting all night…" she pauses and grabs the paintbrush from me. I sigh in response because I know that she's not going to let any of this go. "We need to figure this all out… together, okay? You're always the one saying that some people need more time to process things. And I know that she's your daughter, _our daughter_," she corrects herself. "And I also know that you feel guilty for not having her in your life for those 14 years… but that rule should still apply here—"

"I don't need time to pr—"

"I know _you_ don't. But you're her biological mother… It's instinctive for you want to protect her. But I really think _she_ needs this time right now, to process all of these changes without you and Mike hovering over her. She hasn't had a chance to… Ever since she showed up on Tuesday, it's just been one big problem after another, and she can't deal with it. She's just a kid. _That's_ why she's acting out."

"So what do I do? Let her go on thinking that we don't care. That she can just escape her problems with one phone call to the right person?"

"That's what these sessions are for, Stef," Lena smiles as if I hadn't put much thought into it. "They are so we can all feel comfortable saying what we have to say and move passed all of this."

"And what if the sessions don't work, huh? Have you thought about that? What if she doesn't participate and refuses to talk? Then what?"

"Then we have to," Lena finishes as she grabs the roller from my hand and plops it back onto the paint tray. "And you're not going to do that if you're all out of energy because you haven't slept in over 48 hours. So can we please go to bed?" she asks.

Deep down, I still want to protest but I knew that my wife was right. I couldn't put my hopes in assuming Lux would come back once I finished the basement. I realized that all along. But working on it made me feel like I was doing _something _now that Lux was gone.

Still, I needed to clear my head so that I could try and be prepared for tomorrow, even though I kept imagining the worst-case scenario.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry but this was more of a filler chapter. Eric and Lux scenes are difficult for me to write, but their relationship is going to cause for loads of family drama in the future. I have to show them getting closer so that later on you're not like, **_**wth? How did that happen?**_** I normally dislike romance stories but I LOVE family drama. So if you're like me, I promise chaos will ensue. **

**Next chapter: Some Eric/Lux AND The Family's First Therapy Session. EXPECT DRAMA. **

**Also, if you guys have any ideas, I'm open to them. Won't promise anything but will consider them at least. I have my own ideas but I change them every freaking day. This is why I don't make outlines anymore :) Still, it wont hurt if you throw some at me. I might like your ideas better :P **


	35. Chapter 35

**A/N: **A/N: I'VE CHANGED A LOT OF EVENTS FROM LIFE UNEXPECTED. WHAT HAPPENED TO LUX IN THAT SHOW IS VERY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT HAPPENED HERE. AND ALL DRASTIC OCCURRENCES THAT OCCUR IN THIS FIC SERVE A PURPOSE.****

* * *

**Lux's POV**

When I finally realized where Eric had brought me, I couldn't help but be confused. "The beach?" I ask him in a flattened tone.

"Yeah, come on," he says as he starts running toward the sand and closer towards the water.

_What the hell is he doing?_ I mentally ask myself as I start looking around for any sight of another person. A cop… Or security…

"Lux! Come on!" he yells out loud and I slowly begin following him, just so he would stop screaming my name.

"Dude, are you insane?" I ask him in a low voice the second I am close enough. "We have to get out of here before…"

"Before what?" he questions and I have no choice but to look at him as if he lost his mind.

"Before we get caught. It's 11:30. The beach closed like over an hour ago. We could probably get arrested or something for just standing here."

"Yeah that's a possibility…" he shrugs his shoulders. "So then we don't get caught."

"Excuse me?" I question.

"You heard me. We only get caught if we lose control and let ourselves be heard. Ah-hah," he says as puts his finger up to his temple and taps it.

"Yeah… You lost me," I admit.

"You've been telling me that you've been feeling out of control right? Out of your element…"

"So?"

"So, are you going to let a stranger tell you what you can and can't do? The beach security no less?"

"Uh…" I start but I quickly lose my train of thought when I watch him begin to take off his shirt and jeans. "Eric? Hm… What exactly is it that you are doing?" I question as I look around for anyone again, in case I have to run.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm getting in the water," he smiles.

"The beach is closed," I repeat. "And there are no lifeguards and…"

"I'm in control?" he says with a sly smirk, which causes me to smile stupidly too at how ridiculous he sounded. "So are you coming in?"

"Well I don't know," I tease. "Maybe, I'll stay in control. You know? I'll stay here on the sand and wait for you…"

"You can," he says as he starts backing away. "But then ask yourself this…Are you staying there because you really want to? Or because you think you're going to get caught?"

"Oh, nice one," I answer.

"…Decisions. Decisions," he taunts.

* * *

"This is officially the dumbest thing I've ever done," I confess as I look down at the freezing-cold water and my body is halfway covered in it. I look back up at Eric, who has completely submerged himself.

"But do you feel better?"

"I feel cold," I complain. "Cold and stupid."

"So, you don't feel in control?"

"…Yes," I admit. "But couldn't we have done something else that didn't involve freezing my ass off?"

"What would've been the fun in that?" he jokes.

"Ha ha. So funny," I answer sarcastically.

"You're only cranky because you haven't gotten all the way in yet. Once you dip your whole body into the water, you will get over the shock and… then you wont be so cold."

"Or… I can end up drowning. And since it's so dark, not even you would be able to save me," I taunt.

"I wouldn't let you drown," he says matter-of-factly.

"But Eric," I tease. "Then _you'd_ be the one in control," I joke.

"Is this really not helping you at all?" he asks in a worried tone.

"I'm not sure yet… maybe? I mean, I get why you did this. It was nice. A little strange, I'll admit. But still a nice gesture."

"Well, maybe if you give me a little more, I can be of more assistance…" he offers.

Automatically, the first thought that pops into my mind isn't reassuring at all, so my eyes widen instinctively. "Oh! God, no! I didn't mean that the way it came out! Wow, and I'm always the one accusing people of horrible diction," he says as he ruffles his hand through his hair. "I am so sorry, Lux. That's not—"

I chuckle a little when I see how rattled he gets because I think it's absolutely adorable. "It's okay. I get it," I assure him.

"So?" he questions.

"What?" I ask in confusion.

"Are you going to tell me how this all started? You feeling like you were losing control?"

I stare at him skeptically for a long time, "Why do you wanna know?"

"Because… you helped me. That day at the bar."

"I helped you?" I ask in confusion.

"Yeah, you don't remember? I was being offly rude to you and then you called me…"

"An asshole," I finish. "So, hold on. Wait a second… Is this is payback," I come to the realization as I stare at the water, silently cursing myself.

"No. What? It isn't. Lux, it isn't. I was just… Wow. I'm totally screwing this up tonight," he mumbles to himself. "It's nothing like that. It's just, you helped me realize that I was being a douchebag and there was more to life than my ex. So I thought this could… help you decide to take control over whatever it is that's bothering you… If it's still bothering you?"

I smile kindly, even though the thought makes me uncomfortable. _Was it even an issue anymore? _I ask myself.

"Okay… Let's play a game."

"Please, let's not. I can't even swim so any thought you have a dunking me into the water is not—"

"No, not like that. A guessing game, since you don't want to tell me what's going on. This way, if I suck at it, you don't have to tell me anything. Deal?"

"Uh…" I start nervously.

"I'll guess and you can tell me if I'm hot or cold. Got it?" he asks. "That way you don't have to feel like your pouring your heart out on the second date? Even though it's basically what I did on our first one…"

"Who said this was a date?" I ask him in a serious tone. The flattened expression on his face makes me feel bad so I urge him to continue. "I'm only messing with you. Go ahead. Start."

"An ex-boyfriend?"

"Cold."

"…A current boyfriend?" he says worriedly.

"Freezing."

"School?"

"Still cold."

"Your family?"

I pause as I consider the question. _Technically yes they were my family but… Tasha and Bug were my real one._

"Ahah," he says informatively. "It is your family," he smiles. "Okay. Your dad? …Your mom?"

"You know what," I start. "This is kind of a stupid game."

"Lux," he says, "There's no one who has more family problems than me. _Trust me_."

I smile, "I highly doubt that."

"No, I'm serious. There's nothing that you can say that I probably haven't dealt with myself, so come on. Spill."

* * *

I take a deep breath and consider walking away from him and going back to the shore. _How the hell would this guy be able to help me with this?_ I think to myself.

But part of me wants to talk to anyone at this point. I couldn't talk to Tasha because I knew she would tell me to just forget about Stef and Mike. And if Bug were actually here, he would tell me the same thing. Fern was just my social worker and she was just doing her job… I really didn't have anybody else.

"Fine. I… Well, basically…" _Don't mention getting emancipated_, I try to remember. _He doesn't need to know your real age._ "Okay. So I've been on my own for most of my life, right… and—"

"What do you mean you've been on your own?" Eric asks in confusion.

"Oh, uh, I was in foster-care. Never got adopted and I've been in so many different houses so I've always just… taken care of myself, I guess. I mean, I wasn't completely alone. I had my friends too. Tasha, the girl that was at the bar. Do you remember her?"

"Yeah, sure," he answered with sudden interest. I was waiting for a look from him. A look of sudden pity but luckily he hadn't shifted his expression much.

"Well, yeah. And recently, I found my birth parents."

"You went looking for them?"

"Not on purpose," I answer innocently but I couldn't explain why I went looking for them without bringing up the emancipation. "You know… Just to get some information, like health-wise." _Did that make sense to him?_ I wonder.

"And how did that go?"

"It was only supposed to be like a two-second thing. I was supposed to just see them and that's it. But… there was sort of a hiccup…"

"A hiccup?"

"Well not really a hiccup but… Okay, I'm just going to go out and say it…" I take a deep breath, "It turns out that my biological parents didn't actually put me up for adoption. They thought I was a stillborn. The doctor messed up with something," I continued to rant.

"So now you want a relationship with them?"

"What? No," I answer sternly. "It's the exact opposite. They want a relationship with me. And I don't know why? All of this happened such a long time ago and… I don't know. I guess, I just feel like they are trying to force themselves and their families on me and I have no control over any of it."

"Wow…"

"That's all you have to say? Wow?"

"No, that's just… a difficult situation to be in."

"Yup."

"Well, you're an adult right? So maybe it doesn't have to be so out of your control."

"What?"

"Are they cannibalists or something?" he chuckles.

"No…but—"

"Then, why don't you want to give them a chance?"

"Because… I've been on my own for so long that…"

"You feel you don't need them?" he asks flatly.

"You say that like it's a bad thing…"

"Yeah. Well, it probably is to them. I mean, it wasn't their fault that you got put into the system, right? So why should they have to suffer even more, when they finally found you?"

"Please…They're not suffering. They're taking joy out of watching me suffer," I mumble.

"Nobody takes joy out of watching their own children suffer, Lux."

"Well you haven't met them."

"Yeah, but they're your parents."

"Just because they share my dna doesn't make them my parents," I inform them and even I understood my mistake, "Okay. Technically it does, biologically…but they don't even know me. And my mother or Stefanie, whatever you wanna call her, already has a ton of kids already. She _is_ a mom. I get that. But she wasn't my mom. And it's like, all they want to do is tell me what to do and try to take over my entire life and I just met them less than a week ago. That's like… me letting you take control over everything I do. It's ridiculous. I'm not that five-year old foster kid who wanted her biological parents to just swoop in and pick her up from the orphanage anymore. I've grown up."

"Then tell them how you feel. Tell them that you're an adult and you can take care of yourself now. Be assertive. Let them know that you have your own life and you've been managing on your own for years, and if they want to take part in it, they're going to have to respect that…I mean, it's not like you're a minor or anything."

"…Right," I agree even though it's a lie, and he's confusing the hell out of me.

"So be honest with them. But you should give them a chance to make things right at least. If you're honest with them, maybe they'll be able to work with you and all of you can move past this… _hiccup_ as you put it," Eric smiles. "And if things don't work out, then they don't work out. You don't have to feel like your losing control because you can't control everything. But you can control how you approach the situation. Just don't let whatever hate you think you have for them control the decisions you make, _because that's when you know you lost it_."

* * *

Valerie and I were inside of the elevator going up to the third floor. It felt awkward to have her come with me to the therapy session. But strangely it also felt strangely comforting as well.

"Did Fern tell you how many of these things I had to go to?" I ask out of curiosity.

"Nope… But two days a week is a little ridiculous. Don't you think?" she smiles.

I do too, "Right? Doesn't she have any other cases?"

"Guess not... Oh well, just tell her whatever you think she wants to hear and we'll be done with this before you know it," Valerie finishes with a wink.

When we walk into small waiting room, we both see Fern.

"Hey Ladies. You just made it," she said looking at the watch on her wrist.

"There was quite a bit of traffic," Valerie lies. _Stopping at carvel to get ice cream and waste time does not constitute as traffic…_

"It's not a problem."

"Do you want me to come in or should I wait in here?" she asks.

"You can wait in here," Fern suggests. "Thanks for bringing her, Valerie. I really appreciate it."

"Oh, no problem," she assures her. "Lux, when you get out, if I'm not here I'm downstairs waiting in the car. Okay?"

"Got it," I answer.

* * *

**Stef's POV**

"I still think this is stupid," Mike insists while we all sit in Fern's office, waiting for Lux to show up.

"She's trying to help, Mike," Lena infers. "I think this will be good for us."

"How? By telling us that we can't see our own kid without her present? We shouldn't even be here," he continues to complain.

"Mike," I stop him from going on out of frustration. "If you wanna leave, then by all means, go right ahead and leave."

"Honey," my wife interrupts.

"No, Lena," I answer as I turn my head to face Mike. "I get that you're mad, but grow up, Mike."

"Excuse me?"

"You're acting just as stubborn as Lux is and frankly, I'm not sure it's a good idea for you to be here when you're behaving like this."

"Behaving like what? I can't voice my opinion? Isn't that what therapy is for?"

"Mike, we can't expect Lux to try if you're not willing to. Whatever your opinion is about all of this is irrelevant. You need to put those feelings aside, so that we can get through this. If you show your hostility toward Fern in front of our daughter, then she's just going to reciprocate and all of this is going to backfire. So pull yourself together or get out. But don't ruin what could be our last shot at getting Lux back because you're angry with her social worker."

The silence that follows after is long but necessary. I couldn't get riled up before this either because I didn't even want to mess this up any more than Mike might have. If he would have continued, I knew this was going to blow up in all of our faces.

Lena finally finds the courage to say something, "Why don't we all just relax so that she doesn't walk into a tense room… Mike, we don't want you to leave but we want you to try. You don't have to do it for Fern. But do it for Lux."

* * *

_**Short Preview of Next Chapter**_

**Lux's POV**

I keep repeating Valerie's words in my mind. _Just tell her whatever I think she wants to hear._ That'll be easy. _I can tell her that everything is fine. Things are going great and I'm doing much better. That's simple enough._

And the second Fern opens the door to her office, I start to follow closely behind. But when I see Stef, Lena, and Mike's faces I freeze and find myself wanting to retract to where I came from.

"Fern, what is this?" I ask in confusion as try my best to refuse eye contact with all three of them, while I stand in the doorway.

Fern turns around to face me, "Come in and have a seat and we'll talk about it."

"What? No way. You told me that I had to come here and talk to you. Not that I had to come here and talk to them. You lied," I remind her.

"I didn't lie, Lux. And I never said anything about them because I knew this was exactly how you'd react. And whether you like it or not, they are your parents—"

"They didn't raise me," I retort, "And from what I can remember, Fern, neither did you," I respond back with an attitude. _If I was ever going to talk to these people again, I wanted to do it on my terms. Not theirs._

"You're absolutely right, Lux. I didn't raise you," she starts as she gently pushes me inside of the room to close the door behind her. "But I have a gut feeling on this and I need you to trust me."

"This is so stupid," I inform her. "I've already tried to get along with these people. _Over and over again._"

"Not with me present, you haven't."

I shake my head, wanting nothing more than to say no to her. But I keep replaying last night's conversation with Eric in my head. "Fine… But if this doesn't work, it's not my problem," I say as I stare at everyone in the room until I get to Lena, "…And I don't even understand what she's doing here…"

To be continued.

**A/N: Next chapter will be a bit longer. I wanted to write the therapy session this chapter, but the conversation between Lux and Eric took longer than I expected and I didn't want to cut the therapy session short so the next one should focus mainly on that.**

**I got a really good idea from a guest reviewer that I am planning to use somewhere in the future too. Ideas are still welcome.**

**And I'm just curious but what are your predictions for the first therapy session? **

**What would you like to see happen? **

**Do you think Lux's talk with Eric helped at all? **

**Will Mike continue make matters worse? **

**And how will Lena handle all of this?**


	36. Chapter 36

**A/N: A/N: I'VE CHANGED A LOT OF EVENTS FROM LIFE UNEXPECTED. WHAT HAPPENED TO LUX IN THAT SHOW IS VERY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT HAPPENED HERE. AND ALL DRASTIC OCCURRENCES THAT OCCUR IN THIS FIC SERVE A PURPOSE.**

* * *

**Chapter 36**

* * *

**Lux's POV**

I keep repeating Valerie's words in my mind. _Just tell her whatever I think she wants to hear._

That'll be easy.

_I can tell her that everything is fine. Things are going great and I'm doing much better. That's simple enough._

And the second Fern opens the door to her office, I start to follow closely behind. But when I see Stef, Lena, and Mike's faces I freeze and find myself wanting to retract to where I came from.

"Fern, what is this?" I ask in confusion as try my best to refuse eye contact with all three of them, while I stand in the doorway.

Fern turns around to face me, "Come in and have a seat and we'll talk about it."

"What? No way. You told me that I had to come here and talk to you. Not that I had to come here and talk to them. You lied," I remind her.

"I didn't lie, Lux. And I never said anything about them because I knew this was exactly how you'd react. And whether you like it or not, they are your parents—"

"They didn't raise me," I retort, "And from what I can remember, Fern, neither did you," I respond back with an attitude. _If I was ever going to talk to these people again, I wanted to do it on my terms. Not theirs._

"You're absolutely right, Lux. I didn't raise you," she starts as she gently pushes me inside of the room to close the door behind her. "But I have a gut feeling on this and I need you to trust me."

I hiss. "This is so stupid," I inform her. "I've already tried to get along with these people. _Over and over again._"

"Not with me present, you haven't."

I shake my head, wanting nothing more than to say _no_ to her. But I keep replaying last night's conversation with Eric in my head. "Fine… But if this doesn't work, it's not my problem," I say as I stare at everyone in the room until I get to Lena, "…And I don't even understand what she's doing here," I answer honestly as I walk over toward the only empty seat in the room and intuitively move it astray from the three of them before I sit down on it. _It's the one closest to the door so I know that I'll be the first one out._

* * *

Fern glances over at Lena and we both notice that Stef had just wrapped her hand around her wife's. It was obvious to me that Lena felt uncomfortable by my comment though I didn't really care. "Lux, Lena is Stef's wife. That makes her your step mother."

"So?" I ask out of pure confusion. "She's not related to me… like _at all_," I reiterate. "She's married _to Ste_f… Their marriage has _nothing_ to do with me."

Fern nods and takes a seat across from us, "I understand why you would feel that way, Lux. But Lena is a big part of Stef's life. She lives with her. And I think what's best is for all of us to come to an understanding, so that there's no difficulties later. Now, are you done interrogating me or can we start this session?"

"Fine. Whatever. Go ahead."

Fern appears unimpressed with my attitude, but I felt the same way when she bombarded with these people.

She lets it go, "Lux, is there anything you want to say to any of your parents since you've last seen them? Because now would be the time to say it."

"Not really," I answer flatly.

Fern sighs, "Okay… Lux… Let's start with how all of this came about. What happened? How did all of you meet?" She looks at every single one of us as if it were obvious she didn't care who answered.

Lena's the one who speaks up, "Lux came by the house looking for Stef."

Fern turns to face me, "So you knew where Stef lived?"

"Uhuh."

"How?"

I sigh. _This is going to be a long session,_ I think to myself before I speak, "I found the address on my caseworker's desk. He was helping me with the emancipation process and he told me that he had to get the Permanent Release Of Rights Form signed… He was going to do it himself, but he was taking so long so I decided to do it for him."

Fern squinted her eyes at me. "So you snooped and stole the address?"

"I didn't steal it. I just copied it down."

"But it was confidential information Lux. You stole it."

"Fine. Whatever I stole it," I answer out of annoyance. _Whatever floats your boat_, I think to myself.

"And then what happened?"

Stef answers next, "I came home. She tried to get me to sign the papers and I couldn't—"

"Wouldn't," I correct. "There's a big difference."

It was obvious that Stef wanted to say something to me but she didn't. "I tried to tell her that I wasn't her mom. She didn't believe me. I took her to the hospital and that's when I found out about what happened."

"And she still refused to sign the papers. Even after she promised that she would if she found out that I was her kid," I answer in a harsh tone.

* * *

Fern puts up her index finger to me, "Alright, Lux. Let me stop you right there… There was no chance you were ever going to get emancipated. I can tell you that right now."

"I'm fourteen. That's the m—"

"Minimum age in the state of California that a minor can become emancipated. I know," Fern finishes for me. "But even at that age, the circumstances have to be extremely dire… In order to petition the court for this, you have to me financially sufficient at least—"

"I have $3,000 in the bank."

She ignores me, "You have to prove that you are going to school, which from your attendance records you have not been. Your caseworker sent me your files and it showed me that you filed a fee waiver for your court costs? There isn't a Judge in the world that would see that as financially stable. They would've realized that it was in your best interests to remain in foster-care… I'm sorry, Lux but even in Stef and Mike had signed the papers you wouldn't have gotten emancipated. That's just the honest truth."

* * *

**Stef's POV**

I can see that Lux appears to be hurt and embarrassed by what Fern was saying, even though part of me knew that she had to hear it. But I could still feel sorry because something my daughter really wanted was unattainable. "Lux, you don't have to feel ashamed for being a kid," I tell her. "Brandon is 18 and we all still provide for him—"

"But you're his parents," she answers matter-of-factly as if she couldn't see how much her words stung at Mike and me. "…And you've been his parents _since forever_."

"And that's what you're upset about?" Fern asks, "That they weren't there for you from day one."

"I'm not upset about that. I'm upset that that's the way they're acting. _That's the point_. They haven't been there for me from the second I was born. I get that it's not their fault or whatever but I've been on my own for _a long time_. And I was doing perfectly fine without them and apparently so where they… Why mess that up?"

"Because you're a daughter," Mike answers. "Because we'd be happy to mess it all up if that means we get to finally have you in our lives."

"But you don't even know me."

"That's because you don't give us a chance to get to know you," I answer honestly. "Lux, I feel like every time we finally get on good terms, you just push yourself away from us. This has been going on from the very beginning and it's the exact reason we're here right now. You ran away from our house that day, the day after we found out what happened with you and Callie, and you called Fern when—"

"Because you took her side!" Lux argues. "No one has any idea what happened between us, and you were so quick to interrogate me as if it were my fault."

"That was my fault," Lena jumps in just as I was about to speak. "I took Callie's side and I was wrong to do so. I apologize. But you didn't say anything to us to defend yourself that night either, Lux."

"Lux," Fern starts, "Is that why you ran away? Because of what Lena said?"

"No… And I hardly call what I did running away… I left because I didn't want to make anyone feel uncomfortable and it was obvious that they didn't want me there. When I was staying with Mike, he didn't make me feel like I was screwing everything up. And I liked him up to a point."

Fern nods, "Up until you came to his apartment the next day after you stayed over a random guy's house?"

"Yes‑ No," she takes a deep breath, "…I only said that because I didn't want to stay there anymore."

Fern looks at Lux in confusion, "So you didn't go to a bar and—"

"Nope," Lux interrupts. "I lied, okay? Satisfied?"

"Yeah," all three of us answer in unison and I'm able to breathe a sigh of relief.

* * *

Fern doesn't seem very happy about the way that Lux used her, understandably, "Lux, you shouldn't have to lie to me like that. I wouldn't have left you somewhere you didn't feel a hundred percent comfortable. You know that right?"

Lux doesn't answer.

"I know that I haven't been your social worker for very long and I'm not sure how anyone before me handled your placements before, but the only way this is going to work is if I'm able to trust you and in doing so you have to trust me… Got it?"

"Yeah."

"Okay…So let's talk about what makes you uncomfortable at Stef's… Besides Callie—"

"Callie doesn't make me uncomfortable…" Lux answers matter-of-factly but just stops talking.

"But I do?" Lena asks, and Lux's silence answers the question for her. "…I see… I want you to know that that's not my intention at all."

"Okay," Fern intrudes, "Let's stop for a minute… Lux, why do you think that Lena makes you feel uncomfortable? Is it just because of what she said that day you came over for dinner? Or is it because she you think she took Callie's side? …What bothers you the most?"

She shrugs her shoulders, "I don't know."

"Okay," Fern continues, "Lena, what is it that you think that bothers Lux the most about you?"

Lena looks over at me before looking over at Lux and responding, "I think she doesn't feel comfortable because of what we already talked about… and because I think she feels like I'm…problematic?"

"How so?"

"Well, because… every second we've spent together hasn't been the most exciting."

"Alright. Care to explain?" Fern continues.

"Uh, when we first met we barely spoke to each other, then there was the dinner which… didn't turn out so well."

"What happened?"

"I told her about the school where I teach and she didn't seem too fond of switching."

"And what else happened?"

"Then that situation came up where we found out that Callie and Lux knew each other. That didn't turn out well either… And then she came to the school, where I gave her the test and…then you came to pick her up that same day."

"I think that's a big problem, one that we're going to need to work out before any of this... There hasn't been one positive encounter between either of you and that's going to be very important if you and Stef ever want to be able to take Lux home…" Fern turns toward Lux, "What do you think, Lux?"

"About what?"

* * *

"About working on things with your parents? And with Lena?"

"I don't…know."

"Are you willing to give them another shot?"

"Um…" she shrugs her shoulders again.

Fern changes her wording, "Do you want to have a relationship with them?"

"…Why?"

"What do you mean?" Fern questions.

"Why now? Why do they want to get to know me now? …I mean, I get that they didn't know I even existed and that it shouldn't be their fault but…" she shook her head slightly and we all could see her eyes begin to well up.

"Do you still blame them?"

Lux takes a while to think about Fern's question and for a second I assume that she's not going to answer at all.

"…If they weren't able to hold me for two seconds after they had me…why do they care how I'm doing now?" She turns to face me for the first time in the entire session, "…This could have all been avoided if you just held me… All you had to do was check if I was breathing before you…" she stops herself and shakes her head again as she wipes away the tears that fell onto her cheek and turns to face Fern. "So if you're asking me if I want to get to know them now, then…no. No, I don't want to see them. No, I don't want them telling me what to do and how to live. Just no… It's too late for any of that, or for this. There's no amount of therapy that can fix this… And I'm sorry," she finishes as she stands up to leave.

And I have to wipe my own tears away before I start to stand up to go after her, "Lux," I call but she quickly closes the door.

"Stef," Fern starts as she tries to stand up. "You have to let her go."

I immediately stop her from doing so as I step even closer to her, "Don't you dare tell me what to do now," I warn Fern.

"I know this was hard for you to hear but… believe it or not this was a breakthrough."

"What?" I snap.

"Honey," Lena chastises, "She's right. Just take a second. Please?" she begs as she pulls me back over toward my seat. And it was only because of Lena, that I was able to control myself enough to not punch that woman in the face and sit beside my wife.

"This was a breakthrough," Fern confirms. "Lux has been holding that anger towards you and Mike from the second she found out about what happened. She was going to let it out sooner or later and from experience the sooner the better. I know that she shouldn't be mad at either of you for what happened fourteen years ago, but… _she is_. And it was for the best that you heard it now so that you can address it yourselves, but not while she's so distraught… Lux needs to be in a rational state and if you address it now, the chances of her listening to anything that you say are slim to none… The only way you're going to be able to have any chance of having a relationship with her is if she is able to put aside all her blame. In order to do that, it's your job to explain your side of things… Before that can happen, you need to understand _her_ first," Fern finishes as she reaches over her desk and picks up three over-filled manila folders. She stands up and hands them over to each of us.

"What is this?" I ask in a defeated tone as I flip open to the first page.

"They're copies of Lux's entire file. I faxed you guys a small one before with the basics, but these are more… detailed. They contain drawings, photographs, essays that she wrote in school, and other things to help you to get to know Lux, not where she's been, who she's lived with, how many times she missed school, but…her. You need to have a response to the response that she'll give you, so when you explain your side, you'll be ready."

Mike closes the folder, "So what does this mean? What if she refuses to come to the next session? Then what? We're just going to have to look at a bunch of drawings to keep us busy instead?"

"Lux will be here," Fern assures us. "I will make sure of it."


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter 37**

* * *

**Lux's POV**

_What the hell is wrong with me? _

_Why did I go off on them in there?_

I knew that it was a bad idea to come. Of course Fern would have an interior motive. _She didn't want to help me. She wanted to help them._

_What the hell am I even thinking?_

_This is what I wanted right? I wanted them to hate me enough to just sign the papers. Now… now there's probably no way in hell I can get emancipated even if they signed the papers and I'm stuck in a house with Trey. This is just great._

I walk over toward Valerie's car and open the door and get in.

She makes a face, "How bad was it?"

I don't answer. Where do I even start?

"That bad, huh?" she jokes.

"Yeah," I finally confess. "_They_ were there," I complain.

"Who?"

"Stef and Mike," I shake my head, "And Lena."

"Your parents and your dad's wife?"

"He's not my dad," I inform her. "And he's my mom's wife—I mean, birthmother's wife."

"Okay, Lux. Calm down. You're not there anymore," she tries to soothe.

I don't listen and keep going, "You should have been there, mom. It was like some freaking cracked-out intervention or something. Fern was all like _Lux you have to get to know these people_. Why do I have to get to know them? I'm not even living with them. She took me out of their house and now I'm still supposed to get along with them! It's just. Ugh!" I shout as I ball my fists in my hands.

"Lux?"

"What?" I snap as I turn around and look at Valerie. She raises her eyebrows, "Sorry, I'm just mad."

"And you have every right to be. And I know, it's not fair."

"What am I supposed to do?" I ask her, "What happens if I just stop going?"

"I'll probably get in trouble," Valerie answers.

"So I have to keep going," I shake my head. "I hate this…"

"My job is to make sure you show up, however… they can't force you to say or do anything you don't want to. So just…"

"Don't speak?"

"Yeah, you can do that. Just let them know that it's not going to work out… Be passive. Act like you don't care… They can't force you to care, Lux."

I nod my head.

"… Unless you do care?"

I squint my eyes at her, "Huh?"

"Do you care about them? Your parents?"

"Uh… I don't even know them."

* * *

**Stef's POV**

"Look at this," I smile as I hand Lena a picture of Lux when she was no more than 6 years old. She was staring back at the camera in a mug shot, looking absolutely miserable. She looked the same as she had in the session with Fern today.

Lena chuckled, "I take it she was always the happiest person in the room."

"Even angry, she looks adorable... Here's another one," I hand her a picture of Lux at around the same age. She was dressed in a Minnie mouse dress and a painted black nose and whiskers on her face and was sitting on the floor with another girl with a leopard dress and a high ponytail. I assumed it was her best friend, Tasha

"Aw! This must've been on Halloween. Her curls are adorable, Stef," Lena answered with the biggest smile on her face.

I nod and immediately stop smiling. "Yeah... It kinda sucks that I missed so much," I respond as I try to keep from remembering all of what happened today.

"It wasn't your fault, Stef. How many times do I have to say it for you to believe it, huh?"

I didn't want to cry again but I didn't understand why I was. It was like I had no control of my own emotions. "She blames me, Lena," I tell her as I pick my eyes up from the file and stare at my wife.

"Stef," Lena starts as she puts the pictures down, "Don't do that, okay? Lux is confused. She doesn't understand what really happened—"

"None of that matters," I shake my head and feel even more warm tears fall down my cheeks, "She. Blames. Me. And she's right," I nod.

"No, she is not right," Lena replies in a firm tone.

"All I had to do was hold her, but I was too…"

"You. Didn't. Know," she shakes her head as she reaches for my hand and intertwines her own with it. "You didn't know," she repeats. "There's nothing you can do to change it. And Lux will understand—"

"How? How am I going to get her to understand? How do I tell her that what I did fourteen years ago isn't the same thing as what she wants me to do now? It's like…it's like she thinks it's that simple. She thinks that I can just go back and pretend like she didn't find me, like I didn't carry her inside of me for n‑nine months, like I didn't r-read to her e-very night, like I didn't—"

"Honey," she interrupts in an even louder voice in and effort to calm me down. "You need to tell her this. Fern asked you to write her a letter so—"

"I can't write this stuff," I stop her.

"Why not?"

"Because she— She's not going to want to hear excuses. That's the last thing I want to do to her."

"They aren't excuses, Stef," Lena tries to assure me. "They're the truth."

I hiss at her but she keeps going.

"Don't you think she's going to want to hear your point of view? Like she deserves to hear it?"

"She already made it clear that she didn't want anything to do with me, or any of us for that matter. What the hell can I write in a letter that I haven't already said to her?"

"I know you, Stef. Better than any one in this world," she says softly. "You can appear to be the most stubborn woman in the world and yes, it drive me nuts sometimes. But you can't worry about getting too emotional here."

"I'm not—" I try to defend but my wife stops me.

"You're stubborn. You always try to hide your feelings and you're not going to get anywhere with Lux like that. And obviously, she's just as stubborn as you are. So neither of you are going to get anywhere if one of you doesn't let her guard down. That person… _has to be you_, Stef. You're the parent. If you wait for Lux…" Lena pauses and I know that she doesn't want to say it. I'm actually glad she doesn't because I don't think I can take hearing it.

"Okay," I give in. "Fine. I'll be… completely honest when writing this letter. Lux is probably going to think I'm crazy but… what the hell she already thinks I'm crazy," I mumble.

* * *

**Lux's POV**

"Do you believe in fate?" I ask Eric as we sit in the parking lot of Dairy Queen, eating our ice cream in the bed of his pickup truck.

"Where did that come from?" he asks in confusion and I know I must sound insane to him.

"Nothing, never mind," I shake my head.

"No," he tries to stop me and puts his hand on my knee. "I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable or anything. I was just curious. One minute we're naming the craziest flavored ice creams we've ever tried and then next you're asking about fate," He chuckles. "It's not a bad thing though."

"I don't know. Just… Do you believe in it?" I ask again.

"Yeah… It's always nice to believe that everything good or bad has it's purpose in life. The bad teaches us life lessons and the good reminds us what we're put here for."

"Oh," I answer awkwardly as I lick the last of the rainbow sprinkles from my vanilla cone, "Good to know," I smile.

"Why? What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," I assure him.

"Something's on your mind," he answers me skeptically with a smile that makes me feel guilty. "Is this about your family? The one you just met?"

I sigh. I don't want to get into this again, but something about Eric's eyes made me feel so comfortable. "I don't… I don't really know how I feel about them. It's like one second I think I want nothing to do with them and wish that I could just wish them away and then next… I'm thinking about them, even when I don't want to."

"What do you mean you're thinking about them? Like missing them?"

"Missing is a little strong I think. Maybe… I don't know? Wishing that I could see them again, one day. Not today but one day," I correct with a smile.

"That's missing," Eric informs me.

I turn my gaze away from him.

"Hey," he starts as grabs my hand, "It's okay to say you miss them, Lux. No one's judging you."

"It's not okay," I tell him. " I just met them. They are complete strangers to me. I shouldn't miss them," I shake my head.

_Why wasn't he getting it?_

_But more importantly, why wasn't I getting it?_

"They're your family. Strangers or not, it's okay to feel a connection with them."

What he didn't understand was it was the exact opposite of okay…

But still, I was the one letting that first night at Mike's house replay in my mind. I was the one that kept couldn't erase Stef's words she spoke that very night from my brain, _You have a family who wants you._

_Why was something I had been chasing for so long, the same thing that I was running away from?_

* * *

After my date with Eric, he dropped me off at Tasha's and I ended up walking back to Valerie's. It was a long walk but I always managed.

The first thing that I do is open the gate and close it back up. I glance at the cellphone in my pocket to look at the time. It's 12:26am. _I'm just a little over twenty minutes late._ Normally, Valerie wouldn't really care since it wasn't a big difference at all but from the looks of it all of the lights were off so she was probably sleeping.

"Where were you?" I hear an abrupt voice on the porch and turn around to see Trey's shadow. I pressed my weight even harder on the floor so that the porch light would turn on but it wouldn't.

I try my best not to show my fear as I dig inside my bag for the key, "I was at Tasha's."

"You're still friends with her, huh?" he says as if I'm really in the mood to have small talk with him.

"Yeah," I answer flatly as I dig inside my bag some more.

"You still don't have a boyfriend?" he asks with a sly smile.

_Where the hell was my key?_ I think to myself before I just twist the door handle in hopes that it would just open. It doesn't.

"No, Trey. I don't have a boyfriend," I try my best to stay calm and collective, despite the fact that I can almost feel my heart wanting to pop out of my chest as I reach into my pockets this time.

He walks over even closer and immediately I smell the stench of beer on his breath. It felt like déjà vu all over again.

"That' good," he nods. "You don't want to be like one of those sluts that start dating too young anyway," he chuckles. "Those little girls aren't going to be worth a dime when they get older. Good thing you're not going to have that problem," he smiles as he touches my hair.

I flinch away and stupidly open my mouth, "Please DON'T touch me." I practically yell as I finally find my key and shove it into the doorknob. I breathe a sigh of relief, suddenly glad that I can finally get away from him, but he snatches my wrist in his hand before I can get the door open all the way.

"What did you say to me?!" he says through gritted teeth and piercing eyes. He had only stared at me once like that before and it was the worst day of my life.

"Nothing," I shake my head as I feel the pressure of his hand tighten around mine.

After what felt like the longest ten seconds of my life, he releases his hand and brings his face closer toward my own. And as much as I'm screaming at myself not to look at him, I still do.

"It better be nothing. What, you think that just because you left and came back you can tell me what to do in my own house?" he says in a low yet still angry voice.

"No."

"You do what I tell you to do when I tell you to do it. You speak when I tell you that you can speak. You don't cop an attitude with me because you know I can fix that reeaaall quick."

"Okay, Trey. I'm sorry," I tell him even though I hate myself for even saying it. But there was something about the way he was right now, that made me fear him. I hated his guts but I was more _scared_ than anything else.

"Good. Because no one believed you the last time, remember? Who's going to believe I ever did anything to you, if you just came crawling back? Huh? …Ask yourself that before you decide to make any more accusations…"

To be continued.


	38. Chapter 38

**2 days later (Thursday)**

**Lux's POV**

I walk over toward the coffee machine this morning, where Trey was standing. And automatically feel relieved that Valerie is there in the kitchen as well. After last night, I knew that I had to be careful. It wasn't enough what he did to me two years ago but now he was threatening to do it again.

_Was he threatening to do it again?_

I didn't even know at this point.

"Lux, Trey is going to take you to school today. I have to show up early to work on Thursdays. Is that okay?"

_No!_ I want to shout. But I bite my tongue instead and nod as I pour some coffee in my mug, "Yeah."

"I'll see you later to pick you up to take you to your session, right?"

I sigh, "Uhuh."

_I didn't know which was worse._

_Having to go to therapy and listening to the three of them talk about pointless things for an hour… or having to stay in a house with Trey and Valerie, pretending as if nothing ever happened._

"I'll see you later, honey," Valerie tells Trey as I'm forced to have to listen to them kiss behind me back.

_Definitely staying here is worse._

I stood there silently pouring some sugar and cream into the coffee while I heard Valerie shut the door on her way out of the house. I shut my eyes as I feel Trey approaching me.

"I don't think I have to tell you how _not to say anything to anyone about what happened the other night_?" he asks as he stares at me with his beady blue eyes that I've grown to hate.

"I won't," I confirm while I take the first sip of my coffee.

"Because you know… I only agreed to take you in because it was what Valerie wanted. I don't think you really want to disappoint her twice, huh?"

"No."

"Good," he nods as he reaches for my wrist and I flinch a little. He holds it up for me to see, "Then, cover this bruise up. If you really want to get back to the way things were with her, you wouldn't give anyone a reason to attract attention."

I stare at the huge fingerprint bruise he left on my wrist the other day but nod my head, "Fine."

* * *

**Stef's POV**

I feel immediate relief when I hear a knock on the door and am able to make out Lux's blonde hair from the other side. After what happened on Tuesday, I wasn't really sure I could trust Fern but she was able to get Lux here, like she promised she would.

Fern gets up and walks over toward the door and opens it, "Lux… I'm glad you could make it."

"You act as if I had a choice, Fern," she tilts her head and fake-smiles before she walks in and takes a seat on the farthest chair from us. My daughter makes sure to barely make eye contact with any one of us in the process.

"Nice to see you too," Mike says with obvious sarcasm, causing for Lux to squint her eyes at him in confusion.

Fern walks over and takes a seat in front of all of us. "Okay. So this is what we're going to do—"

Lux interrupts her by sighing heavily and shaking her head.

"What is it, Lux?" Fern says out of annoyance.

"How many of these sessions are we going to have before all of you realize that this is a complete waste of time? I mean… I could be doing homework right now or something."

"You don't even go to school," Mike retorts.

"I go sometimes," our daughter responds back. "And you don't know if I have homework or not so—"

Lena buds in, "Okay, we're getting a little off track here."

"Agreed," Fern continues. "Lux, to answer your question, the faster you start cooperating, the faster we can all stop coming to these visits."

"Fine whatever. What is it that you want me to do?" the teen answers out of aggravation.

"Losing the attitude would be nice," Fern suggests.

"This isn't an attitude. This is my personality."

"No it's not," Fern shakes her head. "I've seen you many times before this and you were never this hostile."

"Who's being hostile? I'm just simply telling you that this is a waste of time," Lux shrugs her shoulders.

"Well, then pretend that it's not. Okay? Pretend like you actually want to be here."

Lux sits back in her chair and waits for everyone else to continue.

* * *

**Lux's POV**

_If pretending was the only way to get out of this, then it was exactly what I was going to do._

"Alright, so let's get started. Who wants to go first?"

_What the hell is she talking about?_

I glance over at the other three and wait for one of them to say something. That's when I notice a piece of paper in Stef's hand that she's just staring at.

I sigh when neither of them says anything in response.

"Okay," Fern starts. "Well, uh… I asked your parents to write you a letter so that they can have time to process everything that they wanted to say and get it all down. Stef, Mike, would you like to just hand it over to her and she can read it or…"

Stef makes a face before she opens the letter. And when she opens her mouth nothing comes out. She shakes her head before glances up at me and then at Fern. "I don't… This is stupid," she says matter-of-factly as folds the paper back up.

"Honey," Lena tries to console as she puts her hand on top of Stef's hand.

"Why do you think it's stupid?" Fern asks.

_Because it is,_ I want to tell her but I figure that my silence would be easier.

"Because… how is reading a letter of excuses going to fix any of this?"

"I agree," Mike buds in. "If we can't get through to her face to face, then how are we going to get through to her by writing on a piece of paper."

"Because sometimes it's easier for us to write the truth about how we feel than to say it… Stef, when you and Mike wrote that letter, were you honest?"

"Yes, but—"

"Then what's holding you back? …Look, I know that it is difficult for both of you to show this side of yourselves to your daughter, but she already did her part last session. It's time for you to do yours."

_I did my part?_ I wonder.

* * *

I watch as Stef takes a deep breath and opens the letter again and glances it over one last time before she coughs nervously and begins to read it.

"Lux…" she stops and she stares at me before she puts her eyes back onto the loose-leaf paper, "Your father and I both know that you blame us for what happened the day you were born. And we now know that we should have expected it, since we've blamed ourselves for what happened ever since we found out the truth about you. Neither of us are happy about the decisions we made that day and I know they were made out of selfishness more than anything," she pauses again to look me in eye as if she was checking to see if I was still there in the room before she continues, "It was a spilt second decision that I made by myself and myself only…"

"Stef," Mike tries to stop her but she glances up and I can see both of her eyes are completely filled with tears.

"No Mike," she responds out of obvious frustration as she stares at him before putting her attention back onto the paper. "…It was _so_ hard for me to spend all of those hours in the hospital room, hoping that in the end it would all be worth it… that we would get to see you for the first time and take you home with us," Stef's voice croaked at the end. "And when they told me you weren't breathing I… I couldn't bring myself to look at you. I felt that seeing you and holding you would have made it harder for me and it was already too hard after hearing that. I didn't think I could handle it and that and until this day _that_ was one of my biggest regrets. And I blame myself even more than you blame me because _I know that it was my job to have that strength to hold you_. I took one quick glance and I couldn't do it… And because of that your father and I have missed all of those years of your life because of my decision I made that day. And _that's _why we've been acting so controlling. Because we finally have you in our lives again and we don't want to lose you… We understand that all of this is difficult for you because we haven't been completely honest with you about all of this. And I get that we have been telling you what to do nonstop since we've gotten you back and it's not something you're used to. That we are coming off as obsessive and it's only because every time we feel like we're in a good place with you, you try to leave us again and again…With the emancipation hearing, to leaving our house the second something happened, to calling Fern and getting a new placement, to even walking out on us on Tuesday. All of that running is constantly bringing up all of these emotions from us and it's causing us to react like this."

"So it's my fault?" I ask, causing everyone's eyes to look up at me.

"No, it's not," Stef tries to answer.

"Because I want to live the life I want to live. The life I've been planning for over five years… without you. And _your hurt_ is my fault?"

Fern responds next, "Lux, that's not what she's saying."

I shake my head, "Then what is she saying?"

"Your parents want to have you back in their lives."

"Well that's not what I want," I try to assure her.

"Then why are you here right now?"

"Because you're forcing me to be here. You're—"

"No one can force you to be here, Lux. You may not realize it right now… but you must want to make things work with them too, somewhere deep down."

"Then fine," I say as I stand up. "Then I'll leave. Will that make it anymore clearer?" I continue as I walk toward the door.

"Then why do you look like you want to cry?" Fern follows me. "You and I both know that something your mother said made you think. What was it?"

I shake my head and keep walking, mainly so that none of them would see the tears that I had no control over.

* * *

**Stef's POV**

"Lux!" I yell after her as I stand up and walk towards the door, but Fern gets in my way.

"Let her go."

"Let her go? You just told her that she doesn't have to come back here anymore. What do you mean let her go?"

"She feels crowded. She needs some space."

"And I need to make sure that this isn't the last time I see her," I retort in an angrier voice, letting the woman know that I had no intention of listening to her advice at the moment.

"Honey," my wife chastises but I ignore her too.

"Nice job," I hear Mike tell Fern and after a few seconds the door closes right behind me.

I quickly glance at the elevator and realize that it's going down, so Lux might already be on it if she didn't already head for the stairs.

_Though I wasn't going to waste time listening to Fern._

_Sure she was the safe route._

_But I wasn't going to make the same mistake I made before_.

I quickly make my way to the door with the staircase symbol on it, knowing very well that I may just make this situation even worse by following her. But it was a now or never situation and I was the only one who understood that.

When I finally make my way down the steps, I notice my daughter exiting behind the glass doors. And out of utter panic I yell out for her, "Lux, wait!"

She keeps going.

I was beginning to hate chasing after her.

It felt like the day that we both left the hospital all over again.

She didn't care about the results because she had no intention of beating herself up over them.

While I on the other hand, was already beginning to realize the truth.

"LUX" I yell again and once she's already outside she finally turns around to answer me.

"What? What is it that you want from me?"

It's not until now, that I realize the slight redness in her eyes. But I can tell that she's trying to block that off with the anger in her voice.

"I just want to talk to you. Please? With no Fern, no Mike… Can you please just let me finish—"

"It's not like it's going to change anything," she shakes her head. "Isn't that why you wrote the letter? So that you can get me to feel sorry for you? So that we can prove Fern right and you and Mike can just get to start over as if the past fourteen years didn't happen and I—"

"No," I respond in a harsher tone than I intended. I take a deep breath before I take a couple more steps toward her, "…This has nothing to do with Fern and everything to do with you... Don't you think that we know we've missed a lot, Lux? Don't you think we're sorry for not being there and we've been trying to make it up to you ever since?" I pause when I see her staring off into another direction as if by not seeing me she can avoid my presence completely. I was beginning to hate that habit of hers more than anything now. "…But how long are you going to keep punishing us for something that we can't change? …How long until you actually forgive us?" I ask as I try to reach for her arm and that's when I notice something by her wrist. "What is _that_?" I ask as I grab hold of her upper wrist to examine the bruise.

* * *

"It's nothing," she responds as she tries to pull her hand back toward her body but I don't let it go right away as I examine the fresh purple pattern.

"This isn't nothing, Lux. Who did this to you?" I respond in a much firmer tone. _I wasn't stupid. I knew I finger print bruise when I saw one._

"Can you just stop being a cop for two seconds?" she snaps as she pulls her hand back completely. "Do you not get it? Maybe that's our problem. Your position makes you so obsessed with having authority all of the time that you don't accept anything less. God forbid you're not in control of every thing and everyone in your world."

"Lux, don't change the subject," I interrupt when I notice what she was doing. Whether she felt that way or not was irrelevant at the moment.

"Why? Because it's not something that you want to talk about?" she continues before she begins to walk away.

"Baby, please?" I beg her to turn around as I reach for her arm.

"Let go of me!" she yells as she tries to push my hand away, but someone else interrupts us.

"Get your hands off of her," I hear a woman yell from the side of us.

I turn around and notice a tall brunette, who looks to be a few years older than me. But at first glance I don't recognize her right away. And out of confusion I release my hold on my daughter. "Who the hell are you?"

She ignores me, "Lux, go wait in the car. Here are my keys," she says as she hands them over to her. Not surprisingly, Lux grabs the keys from her hand and speeds off. After she's far enough, I cross my arms over my chest as I stare hard at the woman.

She speaks, "I'm Valerie, Lux's mom and I would appreciate it if you wouldn't put your hands on my daughter again."

"What? Her foster mom?"

"No… she calls me _her mom_. And the next time she asks you to let her go, you let her go."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. You may have given birth to her but I raised that little girl. You don't get to put your filthy hands on her."

I ignore the desperate urge to punch Valerie in the face and all of the questions about what she just said that are popping up in my mind. "Where did she get that bruise?"

"What bruise?"

"The one on her wrist!" I shout back. "Did you give it to her?" I ask accusingly.

"The only person I've seen grab hold of Lux was you. And the cameras outside of this building saw it too," she points to two cameras nearest to us. "I suggest you think about that before you begin to make false allegations."

That's when I remember where I recognized the woman from. She was the one talking to Lux outside of the supermarket that day we left the hospital, the one she appeared to be afraid of.

Immediately I grab hold of her own arm before I give her the satisfaction of walking away unscathed. "If you ever put your hands on my daughter again, I will see to it that it's the last thing you'll ever do," I threaten. And at this point I don't have a care in the world for the possibility losing my job or the camera staring right at me.

She releases herself from my grip before she walks toward the car, "Same goes for you…"

I force myself to take in a deep breath as I stare after her. And the only reason I let her go is because I've already managed to memorize the license plate number…


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter 39**

* * *

**Stef's POV**

I've been sitting in the parking lot of the house where Lux is currently staying for over 3 hours, and I can't even explain why. But something about that woman was off… The bruise didn't ease my mind at all… And as much as I hate to admit it, I don't want Lux anywhere near her because I didn't know how close they were until now.

The fact that Lux referred to her as mom pisses me off even more. According to her file, she had only stayed with them for two years. Then, I remember that Jude and Jesus started calling us moms earlier than that. Mariana found it more difficult and Callie still doesn't use the term in front of us, but the kids tease her that she still refers to us as such.

But I didn't need for Lux and Valerie to get any closer because she wasn't going to stay there, whether she realized it or not. We have all been trying to make things work with our family so that Lux could come home. And the entire time, Lux has been making things work with her other foster mom, who from the looks of it is the one abusing her…

The thought of Lux being abused by that woman, while I have to sit on the sidelines and watch, makes my stomach turn.

After a few more seconds with my staring contest with the house, I'm distracted by the sound of a car pulling up behind me.

I glance at my rearview mirror and see Mike getting out of his car and coming towards mine.

"Great," I mumble. _Another voice of reason attempting to get me to go home_, I think to myself. _It wasn't bad enough that Lena called me over a dozen times since I left Fern's office. Now she had to send Mike's ass to come and bring me back…_

I unlock my car door when I realize he's coming this way, regardless of what I tell him.

* * *

He gets in and I turn around and notice a Dunkin Donuts bag and a cup holder with what looks like two cups of coffee. I squint my eyes at him.

"Surprised the neighbors haven't called the police on the psycho watching the pink house yet," Mike joked.

"Surprised you're not here because my lovely wife sent you to scold me for not being home by curfew," I admit as I grab one of the coffees from him and peel back the lid.

"I am. You're supposed to be home, Stef. You missed dinner," he says matter-of-factly as he hands me a bag.

I shake my head and smile, "This will do just fine. Did Fern tell you anything?"

"I don't know," he shrugs his shoulders, as I pull two warm sandwiches out of the bag and hand one over to him. "I never listen to that woman anyway. The only useful information she gave me was that Lux stayed with Valerie and Trey Gilbert for over two years before she got moved. They even started the adoption process and everything. Why? What did you find out?"

I sigh, "Well we already know why Lux left. But what we didn't know was what happened just a few days before..."

Mike looks at me as if urging me to continue.

"She was admitted into a hospital nearby. Had an accident, which I don't believe for a second now."

"Why was she admitted?"

"Hospital records said that she claimed to have fallen down the stairs. She was brought in unconscious and it appeared that she had a stroke. They kept her a few days for observation."

"Did they tell you why she had a stroke?"

"Blow to the upper-chest. She claimed she fell down the stairs," I tell him.

"And Callie didn't mention any of this?" he questions.

"Nope. She wasn't there. They took her in few days afterwards."

"And you think it was this woman? Valerie?"

"I'm not sure what to think. That's what I'm here to find out… It would help it Lux actually bothered to text me back though. I get that she's mad but…" I shake my head as I take a bite of my sandwich.

"You texted her?"

I finish chewing. "Oh yes," I answer. "And our lovely daughter has read all fifteen messages," I hold up my iPhone to show him. "And it appears as if she doesn't know how to use the device," I say sarcastically.

"Maybe I should try?" Mike suggests. "What's the number?"

* * *

**Lux's POV**

Why weren't these two letting this go?

17 texts were way passed the borderline of obsessed.

And the two of them were both saying the same thing.

_Why are you scared of Valerie? You don't have to be. Say the word and we'll take you out of there. Or is she not the one hurting you? Is it Trey? Please text me back._

I was beginning to hate that I kept this phone. I should have trashed it the second I found it in my bag.

It wasn't like I could tell them what actually happened.

Trey was right. _Who would believe that I would voluntarily come back to the house to live with my rapist? I was so damn stupid! _

And if things couldn't get any worse, Valerie confronted both Trey and I about the bruise. I told her I fell down the stairs a few days ago and I think she believed me. I already knew that Trey would act clueless about it, so that was that.

I'm able to hide the cellphone that Stef gave me under my pillow immediately after I hear my bedroom door opening.

"Lux, I'm going to my book club. I'll be gone for a while. Do you need anything from the store while I'm out?" Valerie asked after she walked in.

I guess I was right about her believing us.

She'd probably believe Trey was innocent even if she saw it with her own eyes.

"No, I'm okay," I assure her with a smile. "Wait a minute, book club? At ten pm?"

"It's Friday. Give me a break," she smiles and I nod.

She looks at me skeptically, "What are you doing?" she asks. And I can tell that I look like the biggest weirdo just sitting on my bed, while being wide-awake and staring at the ceiling. "Uh… I was just about to shower and go to bed," I answer innocently.

I didn't want her to find out about the cellphone. For all I knew, I might not even be allowed to keep in contact with my previous foster parents.

That probably includes Stef and Mike.

And even though I wasn't, I wouldn't be surprised if Valerie thought of it as a bad thing.

She was my mother and I knew that now.

So I didn't think she would take kindly to the idea.

"Okay. Trey is downstairs. I should be back in a few hours. Call me if anything?"

"Got it," I nod again as I watch her smile and leave the room.

"Good night," she says as she walks out.

* * *

I tried to shower as fast as I could after I got off of the phone with Tasha. It bothered me that they didn't approve her emancipation. And I couldn't help but feel guilty for it.

_I was supposed to get approved first._

_It was all of my money, which I had saved up, that was supposed to get us out of this. My emancipation was supposed to help her. And now she was going back to Sunnyvale, the worst group home of them all, and it was mostly because of me_.

_I would visit her tomorrow. Maybe we would try to figure out another plan… something that wouldn't involve emancipation or running away._

_But who was I kidding?_

_We had been through this road over and over again and it never worked to our_ _advantage._

I stop my train of thoughts the second I hear a knock on the bathroom door. I quickly grab the towel from the rack and get out of the shower.

"Yeah?"

"Are you almost done in there?" Trey asks. "I have to take a shower."

"What happened to the shower downstairs?" I ask him.

"There's no hot water. A plumber is coming to look at it this week," he answers.

_Okay… Lux_, I tell myself. _He doesn't sound mad._

"I'll be out in a minute," I say as I try to dry myself real quickly and put my bra and underwear on. I throw my robe over my body and grab my clothes from the floor before I open the door. The last thing I needed was to piss him off right now.

When I get it all the way open, I could see him staring back at me. I glance down, "All yours," I tell him before I begin to walk away.

"Lux?" he stops me.

I freeze and force myself to turn around and act casual, "Yeah?"

"You remember me telling you to hide that bruise, right?" he asks in an accusing tone.

_Here we go. I knew he wouldn't just let things be._

"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry. I forgot about it and put my sleeves up. But I didn't tell anyone it was you," I answer. "I wouldn't," I shake my head slightly.

"Valerie asked me about it," he informs me as if I didn't know. "Do you know how embarrassing it was for my own wife to think something like that of me?"

_To consider the truth for a second?_ I wonder.

"She doesn't," I try to assure him. "She wouldn't believe me after the last time, remember?" I try to remind him, realizing that I came off a little rude, but I was only trying to repeat what he had said to me.

"Are you making fun of me, Lux?" he questions sarcastically as he squints his eyes at me.

"No, Trey. I wasn't. I was just saying—"

"You were just implying that people might take your word over mine if it were to come down to that."

"What? No," I shake my head. "That's not what I meant."

"Then prove it," he shrugs his shoulders as he looks at me.

I stare at him and shake my head before I turn around and walk back to my bedroom, "I'm going to bed," I say as I try to shut the door, but his hand slams it back open, causing me to back my body up instinctively so that it wouldn't hit me.

"Trey…" I try to reason as I face him.

"If you really have no intention of splitting me and my wife up, if you really want to stay here with Valerie…then prove it…" he continues as he leans his body against the dresser and crosses his arms over his chest, making sure to lean the lower half of his body slightly forward.

I swallow hard and watch the look on his face. His eyes are slightly red and wet and his lips are relaxed. He was clearly drunk and I couldn't help but feel like this was déjà vu all over again.

"What is it that you want from me?" I finally ask.

He loosens the harsh expression on his face and for a second I think that he's coming to his senses. But then what he says next proves otherwise.

"You're a smart girl. I'm sure you can figure it out…" He tilts his head before he slowly begins to walk towards me.

I back myself up until I end up having to sit down on the bed. But he apparently takes my instinctive and fearful action as an invitation to join me. I keep my eyes focused on his legs while they come towards me until I feel his body sink down into the bed beside me. I turn my attention towards the new mint-green lamp on the nightstand. That's when I begin to remember when I slammed the last one against his head in an attempt to get away two years ago.

But it hadn't worked because he still caught me before I got a chance to leave the house.

_And I knew it wouldn't work this time either…_


	40. Chapter 40

**Chapter 40**

* * *

**Callie's POV**

"Callie, can I talk to you for a minute?" Lena asks just as I'm about to head upstairs to go to bed.

"Yeah," I answer skeptically as I follow her into the kitchen with a glass of water in my hands. And I know that I shouldn't feel nervous every time one of them decides that they need to talk to me, but I couldn't help it.

_Something always goes wrong just as things start to calm down._

Lena takes a seat on one of the stools and I sit directly across from her, placing my glass on the table. "What's wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong. You're not in trouble. I just wanted to ask you about something and I didn't want to do it in front of everyone else."

I just stare at her.

She smiles, "Nothing is wrong. I promise."

"Okay…" I start.

"Something came up at the session today. And well…your mom and I wanted to ask you about the Gilberts."

"Trey and Valerie?" I ask in confusion. "Why… why are you asking about them?"

I start to realize that maybe Lux might've said something.

"Well because… We know that you and Lux lived with them at one point…"

"Uhuh?"

"And um, now Lux… Well, she's been staying with them again. And it may be nothing but your mom thinks," Lena stops to take a deep breath before she continues, "Did Valerie ever hurt you, either of you, while you were in their house? I know this is a strange question to be asking but we think it's important."

_I don't respond._

_I don't want to._

_Why are they asking all of these questions?_

_And why is Lux staying with them?_

_This has to be a joke._

"Why is she staying there again?" I ask and I can tell that I just gave something away by deflecting the question.

"Callie, did something go on in that house that we don't know about?"

I look away. I can't lie to her face and look her in the eye.

* * *

"Callie?"

"Not to me," I answer honestly.

I glance up and I can tell by her expression that she's both confused yet frightened.

"To Lux?" she finally questions in a calmer tone, but I already knew that she's uncomfortable.

"I don't know," I answer truthfully.

"What do you mean you don't know? Callie, this is really important," she tries to assure me. "If Valerie hurt her then—"

"It wasn't Valerie. And I don't even know what really happened," I answer loudly but nervously as well.

"It's okay," she says as she reaches for my hand. "It's okay if you're not sure. But we need to know whatever it is that you think you know… If Lux is in danger then—"

"Um," I interrupt and shake my head. "I didn't think she would go back there, so maybe… maybe it's nothing."

"Go on…"

"She said something to me. The other day when she left I was telling her to leave Mariana alone. I didn't want Lux to get either of us in trouble or to influence Mariana because… I didn't want to get kicked out again—"

"Callie," Lena tries to soothe me.

"No," I shake my head. "That's not the point… After that happened, she told me that I didn't know what I was talking about. That she did me a favor and that she got herself kicked out on purpose."

Lena stared at me for a while, and I could tell that she was confused. "What do you mean she did it on purpose? Why would she—"

"She said it was the only way that Valerie would let her go," I pause as I try to recollect all that Lux said. "That she was there for longer than I was so I never got to see what really happened in that house. That I wasn't there for long enough to see the type of person Trey was, and that she wasn't sorry for getting me kicked out. She said he wasn't a good guy…"

"What else did she—"

"I don't know," I answer truthfully. "I didn't want to know and she didn't want to talk about it… Anyways, she left right afterward so I never got the chance to ask her. I just assumed that…" I stop myself, not wanting to go any further. "I could be wrong about all of this," I shake my head.

Lena stands up and walks over towards the other side of the table, pulling me in closer towards her, "No honey. I don't think you're wrong."

"But I want to be," I admit in a shakier voice than I intended. I couldn't help the tears that started flowing out of me afterwards. She heard the sounds of my sobs and held me tighter.

"Shhh," she tried to coo. "Don't cry, Callie."

"All of this was my fault," I answer.

She releases my body and looks me in the eye. "No, none of this is your fault."

I shake my head, "I let her go back there, and I blamed her for getting Jude and I kicked out. I told you what happened and then she wanted to leave because of it. I should've known."

"No, baby. None of this was your fault," Lena tells me in a firmer yet still gentle tone. "You didn't know she would go back there and you didn't know what was going on—"

"But I should have…after Liam."

Lena shakes her own head this time and wipes a few tears from my face. "That was something you had no control over. Don't beat yourself up over something someone else did. Remember what you said about what happening you not being your fault?"

I don't answer. Not because I don't remember but because I already know what she's going to say.

"Same rules apply here. You didn't make Trey hurt Lux and you didn't know enough to stop it. Okay?" she eyes me carefully and I can tell she's searching for a response from me.

I nod and watch as Lena hugs me again. She gives me one last kiss on my head and backs away. "You should go to bed, bug."

"What about Lux?" I question.

"Well, I'm not sure yet. I have to call your mom and see what she can do…"

I nod again before getting up from the table.

"But thank you for telling us. Trey isn't going to hurt her anymore. I can promise you that," she tries to smile.

I smile too before I walk out of the kitchen. _I guess there was a way I could pay Lux back for what she did that night for Jude and I._

* * *

**Lux's POV**

I can feel Trey reach for a strand of my hair but I instinctively flinch away. I didn't want him to touch me. _Was that so wrong?_

"We used to be so close, Lux? What happened?"

_You raped me; that's what happened!_ I wanted to shout but I didn't need him getting rough with me like the last time. I just shake my head slightly and let in a deep breath through my nose.

"I know what you're thinking," he says but I don't dare look at his face while he talks. I'm too busy trying to remember how to breathe. "You're thinking that I hurt you. But you and I both know that what we had was special."

I try to keep myself from throwing up.

"I didn't want to hurt you, Lux. But I wanted you to see the truth. I only hurt you because you hit me that day, remember? …I lost it and for that I am sorry. I shouldn't have taken it that far… But you're not going to make the same mistake twice, right?"

I turn my head away and glance at my pillow. I can feel his body turning even more on the bed as his hand reaches for the collar of my robe. He tries to move it off of me and I can't stay still anymore.

I knew that the smart decision, after the last time, was to stay still.

But I couldn't.

I instantly grab hold of the cellphone from under the pillow and try my best to run out of there. I can feel his hand reaching for me and the strap around my robe being quickly yanked from it. I keep running and can almost feel his hands on my body. He chases after me and just like the last time he makes it to the staircase before I do.

"You stupid bitch," he smiles. "Are we really going to do this all over again?"

I glare at him for a split second before I turn around and run towards the bathroom, feeling immediate relief when I'm able to close the door and get it locked. The window in there is too small but I figure that it would hold him off.

Trey couldn't break the bathroom door down without Valerie questioning the reason. But I still can't help but be petrified as I watch the doorknob shake vigorously.

"Lux, open this damn door now." His voice is angry but I don't do it. "Now!" he shouts louder.

And before I know it, I'm calling Stef's phone from the cell. I hold it up to my ear and listen to it ring. He bangs his fist on the door so hard that it almost causes my heart to pop out of my chest. I immediately notice an obvious crack in it, which means it wouldn't be long for him to get through.

For a second I think about opening it and apologizing for locking myself in here in the first place. But then I hear him again.

"OPEN THIS DAMN DOOR LUX BEFORE I KICK IT DOWN! YOU THINK YOU CAN LOCK DOORS IN MY OWN HOUSE!"

This was worst than the last time. He wasn't this angry even when I hit him.

_Come on, Stef. Pick up. Pick up,_ I think to myself.

"Hello?" I hear her answer but I can't bring myself to say anything.

He bangs on the door. This time it was harder, and I drop the phone.


	41. Chapter 41

**Chapter 41**

* * *

**General POV**

Stef sighs when she glances down at her cellphone after listening to her ringtone.

"Is it Lux?" Mike asks.

The blonde shakes her head slightly, "Uh, no. It's Lena."

"I still can't believe she's still ignoring us. It makes no damn sense," he shakes his head.

"You're telling me," she mumbles before answering the call. "I'm coming home soon, Lena. I'm sorry it's been—"

"No, I don't think you should," she interrupts.

"What?" Stef asks in disbelief. _Her wife had been calling her to try to get her to come home for hours ever since she left and now she was telling her not to…_

Lena sighs nervously and Stef automatically knows that something's up.

"What is it?" the blonde caved in.

"I…" Lena pauses, "I talked to Callie…"

"Okay?" she asks hesitantly, suddenly wondering where her wife was going with this.

A bad thought crosses Lena's mind, which causes her to quickly change the subject, "Honey, who's there?"

_What?_ Stef thinks to herself but she still answers, "Um, well Valerie just left not that long ago and it doesn't look like she's coming back anytime soon. Lux isn't picking up the phone of course so I— Babe… where are you going with this?" She squints her eyes in confusion.

"You need to go get her," Lena quickly stops her again. The fact that she's using her firm tone makes it obvious to Stef that her wife is nervous and serious. She wasn't too keen of her going there in the first place, and now she wants her to bring Lux back? None of it was making any sense.

Stef listens closely as Lena takes a deep breath before she speaks again, "It's not Valerie Lux is afraid of, Stef... It' her husband, Trey."

The confused expression on Stef's face suddenly shifts to a more concerned one. She doesn't even want to know where this conversation is going but the fact that her kid has been alone with someone she was afraid while they've been outside the entire time was enough to make her blood boil. She didn't even want to begin to think about why. Instead, she unbuckles her seatbelt and takes her keys out of the ignition.

Mike puts his coffee down onto the cup holder and starts adjusting his belt. "What's going on, Stef? What's happening?"

"What do you mean she's afraid of Trey?" the blonde asks.

"What?" Mike questions out of both confusion and terror as he opens his car door and watches while Stef does the same.

The beeping coming from Stef's phone immediately distracts her from the conversation and she glances at the screen and notices Lux's name. "Lena, Lux is calling me. I will call you right back," she rushes the conversation to an end.

* * *

Both Stef and Mike take in deep breaths and feel a sudden glint of relief. _If Lux was able to call them, she had to be okay at the moment, right?_

She switches lines. "Hello?" Stef abruptly answers, but all she can hear is silence coming from the other side of the conversation for the first bit. "Lux?"

For a second she wonders if the girl called on accident, which was most likely in their case. Lux had never been the one to look for them.

The blonde hears a loud bang and immediately her eyes and ears widen.

Mike walks over toward the other side of the car, "Stef, what's—"

The blonde quickly lifts up her index finger to get her ex-husband to stop talking. He gets the point and waits for the woman to make a move.

She listens intently but the roaring tone coming from the other line was the last thing that she had expected to hear.

"LUX, I'M BREAKING THE DOOR DOWN ON THE COUNT OF THREE, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO LIKE IT WHEN I GET IN THERE! …ONE!"

_Another bang._

"TWO!"

_The sound of wood cracking._

Stef rapidly released the phone from her hands, dropping it onto the floor. She was so out of it that she couldn't even hear the glass shatter as she began running towards the house.

* * *

Lux's flinches at the sound of the wood breaking and watches in fear as the huge chunk of wood falls onto the floor on her side. She stares as Trey's fist bangs into the door again and the blood dripping from his knuckles becomes evident.

"TREY, PLEASE STOP!" she screams as her eyes scan the room for something sharp to defend herself. But she panics when she doesn't automatically find anything. She hears his fist banging again and again. And she grabs the soap dispenser and slams it as hard as she could against the mirror-cabinet, watching a ton of glass shards falling into the sink directly afterwards. Instinctively, she grabs the biggest piece and tightens in her grip around it, feeling the glass digging into the skin of her palm. She considers grabbing the hand towel to wrap around the glass, but Trey was already unlocking the door from her side and her eyes were too focused on what he was going to do.

"PLEASE STOP!" Lux yells at the top of her lungs but as soon as he comes in she can almost feel his hand already wrapping around her arm. And frantically she shuts her eyes, but the sound of someone else's voice causes her to open them and back farther away until she falls into the bathtub, knocking down the shower curtain in the process and allowing it to fall over her.

The pink curtain blocks her direct vision of what was going on, causing her heart to race even more as she tries to maneuver herself out of it so that she could see what was happening.

* * *

Just as Mike makes his way up the stairs, he spots where the screams were coming from and could see the blood drops on the floor and the chipped wood pieces. He runs over and grabs Trey from behind by the collar of his shirt, immediately pulling him away from the door and ramming his body up against the wall before punching him in the face again and again.

"LUX!" Stef yells from directly behind Mike and could see the blood on the floor, causing her heart to sink directly at the sight. But that doesn't stop her from listening to the sobs coming from the bathroom and instantly running towards them. "Lux?" she asks as she steps toward the bathroom doorway and sees her daughter trying to get up from the bathtub, dressed in an open bathrobe and her bra and underwear clearly showing. Stef helps her up to a standing position and wraps the bathrobe around her body so that she's covered. But the sudden hyperventilating and sobs coming from the girl as she stared at the empty doorway didn't go unnoticed by the older woman. "Lux? Baby, it's okay. I've got you," she tries to coo before she wraps her arms around the girl and holds onto her tightly, hoping to give her the firmness she needs to keep calm and catch her breath. She glances down and tries to move the hair strands which were stuck to Lux's sweat-drenched face so that she could see her better from her angle, "Baby, can you tell me what happened? Do you think you can do that? Huh?" Stef asks in a desperate and comforting voice.

Lux shakes her head and buries her face into the woman's chest while grabbing onto her mom's arms tightly out of desperation. It was a gesture that both made Stef feel extremely maternal towards her and filled her body with anger at the same time. For a second she wanted to let go of her daughter and help Mike kick the man's ass, who put her daughter in this position to begin with. But she couldn't risk not being there for Lux the one time that it was obvious Lux wanted and needed her there more than ever.

She shuts her eyes and holds onto Lux and tries her best to ignore the loud cursing and banging going on outside of that bathroom. And for a little while it works until she heard the sound of a table snapping in half. She immediately lets go of her hold on Lux and eyes her carefully. "Stay here and don't move," the older woman orders. Lux tries to take in a deep breath and even though she wants to keep Stef close to her she nods her head, lets out the breath, and wipes the tears from her face.

Stef gives Lux a kiss before making her way outside of the bathroom…

To be continued…

* * *

**A/N: I got some ideas for this from a guest awhile back so thank you to that guest :)**

**Also, for those of you who have read my short fic **_**That Awkward Mom**_**ent: After much deliberation I've decided to write the sex-talk with Stef and Callie. It will probably be posted tomorrow since I'm still working on it and will be a one-shot and be posted under "The Talk." A lot of you wanted to see that so I'm going to try my best though it is kinda hard. I want to make it awkward but not corny. And it's more difficult than I thought. But it will be done nonetheless.**

**As always, thanks for reading :)**

**One final chapter after this one.**


	42. Chapter 42

**Chapter 42**

* * *

**Stef's POV**

I run out of the bathroom and immediately see blood all over the living room.

"Crap," I mutter as I walk in farther and notice Mike bashing in Trey's face on the floor. "MIKE!" I yell as I try my best to get him off of the man. "MIKE! STOP!" I wail even louder when I realize that he's too strong and too mad for me to do anything.

I can feel my ex-husband's tight grip begin to loosen and I notice the punching stop. I have to look away from Trey's face but he was definitely still conscious. I grab my cuffs from behind my back and hand them over to Mike, when I know that he's as calm as he's going to get. Because as much as I wanted to kick this guy's face in myself, I knew that Mike would kill him. And I couldn't let him go down because of this.

I can hear Mike tightening the cuffs around the man's wrists and I don't even question how tight they are. I get up from my position and try to pull Mike up too but Mike doesn't budge.

"You stupid son of a bitch! What the hell did you to her?!" he yells as he grabs the collar of his shirt. "What the hell did you do!? Huh?!"

"MIKE! THAT'S ENOUGH!" I shout even louder but Mike stops and looks at him again before bashing his fist against Trey's nose again and again.

"MIKE STOP!" I hear Lux scream from behind us, causing me to whip my body around immediately. We both freeze when we notice the fearful and distraught expression on her face as she stood there attempting to keep her body covered with her robe.

After a few seconds, I'm finally able to snap out of it. "Lux, go back to the bathroom. I told you not to move," I answer out of anger.

* * *

**Lux's POV**

"No," I answer just as defiantly.

Stef stares at me in confusion.

I couldn't even begin to answer why I was defending Trey of all people.

_Was it because I didn't want to hurt Valerie?_

_Was it because I didn't want to drag either, Stef or Mike, into all of this?_

_Or was it because I was scared of what would happen if they didn't believe me about everything?_

It might've been all of the above…

I shake my head slightly and try my best to will myself not to cry even though I can practically fell my tears burning a hole through my eyes. "Please stop," I beg. "He didn't do anything."

It was technically the truth. _He did nothing compared to what happened two years ago._

Breaking his _own_ door and cursing wasn't a big deal.

Mike backs off of him and tries to approach me but I instinctively back away, "No, stop," I tell him through my cracked voice. I can see the hurt in his eyes but all I can do now is look away from him. I turn to look at Stef and can see her staring back at me with a complete emotionless expression.

_Why was she so hard to read? _

Finally someone breaks the silence, "Mike, um, you should be the one to call it in," she nods and watches as he takes a reluctant pause to stare at me before walking out. I don't even bother staying there to watch her look at me with pity. I make my way over toward my room so that I could change. There was something about still being in my bathrobe that made me feel very uncomfortable.

* * *

Once I'm done changing into some sweatpants and my yellow t-shirt, I can hear a soft knock on the door, "Lux?"

_It's Stef's voice._

_Maybe if I ignore it, it will all just go away. _

I start packing my bag since I know there's no way in hell Valerie's going to let me stay here.

_I'd have to call Tasha and see where she is and catch up with her._

_Or maybe even Fern to find me another temporary placement._

I can hear the door creak open and I know it's her. I keep stuffing my bag. Luckily there isn't too much because in less than a few seconds, I'm completely done. I zip it up before throwing it over my shoulder and turning around and walking towards the door.

"Lux," Stef stands in front of the doorway and blocks it so that I can't get through.

"What are you doing?" I ask her.

"You don't have to keep running anymore," she shakes her head.

"Actually I do. You just sent Mike to call the cops," I remind her in a sarcastic tone.

"So?" she looks at me strangely.

"So I rather just skip all of this. From past experience, these things don't ever go my way, so if you could just..."

"What do you mean from past experience? This happened before?" she asks with a hint of nervousness in her voice.

"It doesn't even matter," I shake my head. "None of this does."

She takes a deep breath and crosses her arms over her chest before continuing. "Alright, what happened to the Lux I was just talking to five minutes ago?"

"She's gone," I retort.

"Oh is she?" my mother asks disbelievingly.

"Yeah."

"Why?"

I shake my head. "Seriously lady, I have to go," I tell her with as much detachment in my voice as I can muster.

"So is that how you're going to be?" Stef questions. "You're just going to disappear and have Mike and I take the fall for this? Make us look like crazy people who just broke in and attacked your foster father for no reason?"

I shake my head slightly.

_I hated that her question made me realize that I cared. _

_I didn't want to. _

_That was never a good sign. _

_Never for me. And especially not in the end_…

"It's going to look like that way anyway," I mumble. "Or it's going to look like I lied again."

"No, it's not," she answers in a calm voice. "You just have to be honest with the police. The evidence, the door, the blood on his knuckles, the bruise on your arm… they all speak for themselves. _No one_ is going to think that you lied."

"Really?" I smile. "Not even you? Or Mike? …Or Valerie?"

"Valerie?" she questions. "So this is about her?" she tries to rationalize.

"No, this is about you!" I answer angrily. "…This is about having another person not believe me! Don't you get it?"

_Why wasn't she getting this?_

_She could just avoid all of it and I could to._

_All she had to do was move out of the way._

"Please move out of the way," I plead even more desperately when I notice she doesn't budge.

"No," she says firmly. "Not until you explain what you just meant…" She stares at me desperately for a long time and I don't answer. "Why would you think we wouldn't believe you?"

I shake my head with resistance. I wanted her to just evaporate or something.

"I just didn't want to risk it, okay?" I try to answer casually but a tear still stains my cheek that I quickly wipe away and pray that she didn't even notice.

"Lux—" she starts but someone from behind her quickly interrupts.

"Ladies, can we get your statements?" a young officer says as she stares at me.

"Um, now is not a good time," Stef attempts to answer.

"Yes," I answer. _I needed to stop this conversation. It was already too late but I could still leave when it was over. I just wondered where they'd take me._

* * *

Stef walked in the middle of my statement. Hers was shorter so I wasn't too surprised. I knew I had to be honest because I didn't want Mike to pay for my mistake. After getting a look at Trey's face post-beating, I knew he could've used all of the help he could get.

We all stare at her as she takes a seat beside me on the bed. There were two other officers in the room who were standing. I couldn't remember their names but they were both females and only one of them was actually doing most of the talking,

"So you've lived with the suspect for two years prior to this?"

"Yes."

"How long ago?"

"Um, a little over a year. But then they decided it wasn't a good idea so I got placed back in the foster system."

"And when was the first time he hurt you?"

"Um, it was only really once?" I answer nervously.

"That's okay. So when was that?" the detective continues.

"The night I landed in the hospital. I can't remember the day," I shake my head.

"And what happened on the day in question?"

"Um…" I start just because I know I have to but I can't think of a thing to say. So instead I stare at the notepad in the other woman's hands.

Stef senses my hesitance and immediately places her hand on my knee, "Lux, you need to be honest."

I furrow my eyebrows at her and she continues.

"There's nothing in this world that you can't tell me that would make me feel or think any different about you. You don't have to worry about that. I promise you. Okay?"

I stare at the woman, who is my biological mother, for a long time. _How was it that I could have more faith in my mother who I have only known for less than a month, then my foster mother who I had known for over three years?_

She pulls my head in towards her and kisses my forehead before wrapping both of her hands around my left one. She gives me a small smile, "If you haven't noticed there's nothing you can say to me that will get rid of me... Or your dad... Or Lena. So… just tell them the truth and we can be done with all of this, okay?"

_I can tell that she's upset by all of this by the look in her eyes. I can suddenly read her a bit better, but I'm beginning to think it's only because she's allowing me to._

_But she was still trying to be strong for this._

_I could at least do the same… even if I was just pretending._

I turn back towards the detective, "What was the question again?" I honestly did forget. All I knew was that I didn't want to answer.

"What happened the day he first hurt you? In detail would be better," she requested sadly. It was a personal request, but I knew I had to answer sooner or later.

I took in a deep breath as I forced myself to go back to that day. Luckily there wasn't so much to tell because that would've been even more embarrassing. "…Trey… he came into my room one night. I think he was drunk though," I stop and furrow my eyebrows at the detective.

"That's okay," she nods. "Take your time," she offers.

_But I didn't want to take my time. I wanted to just blurt it out. _

"Um… I woke up when I felt the weight on the other side of my bed shift and then I noticed it was Trey. I asked him what he was doing. He didn't answer. Instead he kissed me. And… I kissed him back," I confess embarrassingly.

All of their expressions remain flattened as if it weren't a big deal but one of them finally asks. "Why?"

"Because I was use to it," I answer honestly. "He'd always kiss me but that's all it was. And he told me that if I ever told anyone about it, that my mom…" I pause and take another deep breath, "that Valerie would send me back to Sunnyvale." I give them a short fake laugh, "I must've been pretty desperate huh? I guess I led him on in a way." I shrug my shoulders.

Stef squeezes my hand tighter, "No," she shakes her head. "Not at all. He was an adult and he shouldn't have done any of that. He should've known better… Okay?"

I squint my eyes at her. "I was so desperate for a mom that I made out with Valerie's husband so that he wouldn't take me away from her. That's sick," I tell her as I nod.

The detective interrupts, "The only sick person here was the one who preyed on a thirteen-year-old and used his position to do it."

_Twelve,_ I want to correct. _Technically, I was twelve going on thirteen but that didn't change anything._

* * *

"Then what happened?" the detective continues.

"Then… I felt his hand reach under my shirt and then for my pajama pants. I immediately felt uncomfortable so I pushed him away…"

"And then?"

"Uh… he grunted like he was mad and then tried to calm down. He told me to just relax. He turned for a second to grab his beer from the nightstand, and I took that opportunity to grab the lamp from the nightstand… I slammed it as hard as I could against his head and ran out of the room."

"How serious were his injuries?" the detective asked.

I shrug my shoulders, "He was in the hospital for a day or two I think. He got out before me so I don't really know."

"Which hospital was this?"

"St. Roses."

"And you were there too?"

I nod. "For a little. Less than a week. I had a stroke and they brought me in unconscious so they wanted to keep me there. The blow to the chest was the cause of the stroke."

"Okay," the woman nodded as she kept jotting all of this down. "Now what happened after you ran out of the room?"

"He chased me. Pulled me by my hair to stop me and that's how he got to the stairs before me to keep me from leaving. After… he basically just yelled for a while. I can't remember what he said."

"That's fine. Just try to remember whatever you can," the detective urged me to continue.

"He grabbed onto my arms with both of his hands and I tried to fight him off and I begged him to let me go. I remember him punching my chest and falling down the stairs. He ran down after me and I thought he was going to help me. I thought he had realized that things had gone too far. But instead he… He stared at me to see if I was okay. My eyes were open but I couldn't really see anything. It was all a blur… I heard him unbutton his zipper and… I can't really remember too much after that. I started to feel dizzy and I then I woke up at the hospital. But I knew that he…"

"Raped you?" the detective tries to confirm.

"Yes," I nod.

I feel Stef's hand leave mine for a split second that frightens me to death. But then I feel it wrap around my back and she shakes my arm slightly.

"And you came back here afterwards?"

"Yes."

"Did you tell anyone at the hospital? Or anyone at all?"

"No," I shake my head. "I told Valerie but she didn't…believe me so I didn't even bother with the staff... I told my boyfriend and my best friend."

"Where can we find them?"

"I don't know where my boyfriend is. My friend is at girls home."

"And where was Valerie during the attack?"

"Uh, at her mother's. She lives in Oregon. She was just going to be gone a few days but she came back as soon as she found out what happened."

* * *

"And why did you decide to come back when you got back from the hospital?"

_Here it was…_

"I thought I could handle it," I nod nervously. "I still wanted to make things work with Valerie, but it was getting harder in harder being in this house and listening to him tell me how badly I screwed this up. Valerie didn't want to put me back into the foster system and I told her I made it up so that she wouldn't hate me… But it was too much. I couldn't even sleep here and feel safe anymore so… my friends and I decided to trash the outside of the house because we knew Valerie would finally kick me out if I did something that terrible. And our plan worked."

"But you came back a year afterwards?" the detective asks in a perplexed tone. "Why?"

I shrug my shoulders. "Because I missed her. Because my life was already sucking and I hoped Trey wouldn't try anything. I didn't think he would. He waited almost two years before he did anything the first time. I figured I'd be well out of here before then."

"And what happened today?"

I take another deep breath and start to tell them everything.

* * *

**General POV**

Stef walked her out of the house, and Lux almost felt confused and relieved about why she was still next to her. After all that happened and all that she heard she still stuck by her. That part was incredibly strange to the teen.

"So?" Lux asked her mother, causing for the woman to stare at her questioningly. "What happens now?"

"Well…" Stef sighed, "Trey's probably going to the hospital and then straight to jail hopefully. And Mike—" she stopped and pointed to him, when she realized he was walking towards them both, "Speak of the devil," she teased.

"Lux are you okay?" he asked before he quickly engulfed the girl in his arms. Lux froze up when he did this, but after a few seconds she hugged him back.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

He released her a little and stared at Stef, "The detectives said this happened before? When?"

"A year ago," Stef answered him.

"Well nothing really happened now so…" Lux informed them. _He didn't really hurt her this time. He didn't even get the chance._

"He's going to pay for what he did to you, Lux. That I can swear to."

"Mike," Stef tried to calm him, and Mike put his hands up in surrender. "What happened with you?"

"No, everything's fine. Self defense..."

Lux furrowed her eyebrows.

Stef noticed and nodded her head understandably. "California includes self-defense of others in their self-defense laws. You're a minor and were in imminent danger."

"I'm just mad I didn't kill the bastard," Mike mumbled so that the police wouldn't hear.

Stef chose not to address it. After hearing everything that happened, she really wanted to kill Trey too.

* * *

"Lux. Are you okay?" Fern asked from afar as she ran over towards them.

"Now you ask her if she's okay?" Mike spat angrily.

"Mike!" Stef yelled. She didn't need for him to threaten another person and ruin their case against Trey.

"The police just told me what happened. Lux, I swear if I had any idea about any of this, I would've never placed you back here."

Lux nodded and tried to smile, "No, it's okay."

"It's definitely not," Fern answered sternly. "None of this is okay… But it's over now," she nodded as she moved a strand of hair from the girl's face.

"Lux is coming home with us," Stef tells her in a no non-sense tone.

"I agree," she said as she stared at Stef. "But those regulations still—"

"We're taking care of them," Stef insisted. "I promise."

"Okay." Fern turned to face Lux, "Are you okay with this?"

Lux eyes moved towards Stef and Mike first. And after a few seconds she nodded. "Yeah."

All three adults let out huge sighs of relief, causing for Lux to squint her face at them, which caused both Stef and Mike to chuckle.

"I'll call you," Fern tells them. "Bye, Lux. I'm really glad you're okay. And if you need anything—"

"Got it," Lux smiled.

All three of them watched the woman walk away.

"Are you ready to go home?" Stef asked as she wrapped her arm around her daughter and looked at Mike.

Lux let out a deep breath that she felt she'd been holding in since the night started. "So ready…"

**The End**

* * *

**THE SEQUEL to this will be posted soon. A lot of things have gone unanswered which I plan to include in Part 2 (For example: Lux's relationship with 21-year-old Eric Daniels will bring extra drama to the Adams Foster household...) But if there was something you really want to see and want me to incorporate in the sequel feel free to throw ideas at me. Though I will warn you that it will remain a Lux-centered fic and will have other storylines as well. I do know most of the other kids weren't involved much in this one, but that was mainly because Lux hadn't lived with them and **_**she was the focus**_**. They are bound to be included more in the sequel though not too much. I get extremely bored reading and writing stories where too many characters are actively present. Most of my stories are focused on 1-3 people because it's more interesting for me and less confusing for my readers. **

**A/N: I'd like to especially thank s.c. junction for helping me beta this entire story. You're awesome and don't even realize how much time you've saved me. **

**By the way, only the first few chapters have been beta-ed. Any mistakes afterward is fully my fault. I will be posting up the proofread chapters very soon so that this story will hopefully have very few grammatical errors. **

**To my dedicated readers who have read this story from beginning to end: you all are awesome! This was my first ever fanfic and I'm so excited to finally have it completed. **

**Couldn't have done it without you guys.**

* * *

**AND I know that there were some issues some people had where they think I went out of character at times. But I had the characters behave and act a certain way because that's how I think they would have acted if they were placed in this type of situation. **

**Lux- **_Her friends WERE her family and she was losing one by one all of a sudden. Bug, her boyfriend and friend of many years, left her out of nowhere. Her plan to get emancipated with her best-friend Tasha was ruined and she blamed Stef and Mike for stopping that. Let's not forget she had two strangers telling her what to do out of the blue. Plus, she considered herself an adult that didn't need anyone's approval after being on her own for so long. The idea was going to be very off-putting to her. Also, she was 14. Very young and very immature. Thought she knew better than everyone else and wasn't very logical._

**Stef &amp; Mike- **_They were wrongfully deprived of their daughter's life. Point blank. That was their kid. I can't imagine them letting it go. They weren't Cate &amp; Baze, who had more of a wing-it attitude. _

_Stef was also too consumed with everything Lux kept doing wrong to really focus on any of the other kids. It was one thing after another and it happened so fast that she couldn't catch a break. She wasn't intentionally ignoring them after she found out she had a daughter. From the second Stef and Lux met, Lux had been starting trouble for her. First she told her about getting emancipated, then she steals the files from the doctor's office, forges the papers and shows up at the courthouse… then Lux decides to go live with Mike instead of Stef because she doesn't want to be smothered (which of course would take a toll on Stef. Look at what happened when Brandon moved out. We know she was far from happy and I can't imagine her being okay with a daughter, whose first 16 years of life she missed out on, deciding to go with Mike over her)… then Lux spends one dinner with them, runs away and tries to leave on her boyfriend's motorcycle (A boyfriend who lives on his own, is older, and Lux has been staying with for the past few months)… then they try to ground Lux which doesn't work because Lux rebels and stays out all night and doesn't come home until the next morning… then Lux calls Fern to come and get her because Stef and Mike basically let her go to a bar and stay out all night in some stranger's apartment. Stef was going crazy and still tried to make as much time as she could with the rest of her family._

**Lena- **_Her daughter, Callie, was scared that she was going to get kicked out again because of Lux. She didn't know the other girl very well so she said something she didn't mean out of anger, but tried to make it up to her afterwards by being there. That's just what I think she'd do in that situation. Her family comes first and Lux didn't even want to be part of their family so she would gravitate towards Callie more. She will be more chill in the sequel. _

**Callie- **_She hated Lux in the beginning. She thought she got her and Jude kicked out of the last "safe" home they lived in before she went to the Olmsteads… and then the last fosterhome she had before they found Stef and Lena. Callie cares about Jude more than anything and she thought that her brother would've never had to go through all of that abuse afterwards, if it weren't for Lux. Hostility was a given. When she started suspected the truth, that's when her opinion of Lux changed._

**Mariana- **_Stef was her mom first. Of course she would feel jealous if she found out her mom had a bio daughter. It wasn't the same as Brandon being her bio son. She knew Brandon since she knew Stef. She didn't know Lux and didn't really want to._

**Brandon- **_This random girl, who he had a bad first meeting with, all of a sudden starts taking up all of the time from not one but BOTH of his parents. He never had to share Mike. I can imagine him not being too keen of the idea of Lux staying in his bedroom at their apartment etc._

**Jesus &amp; Jude- **_I can't imagine Jesus really caring at all to be honest. I also think Jude would be more innocent, confused, and quiet about all of this. They will definitely be included more in the sequel though. I haven't completely forgotten about them._

**Now, although you may or may not agree with my explanations, I'm just letting you know that's why I had the characters behave a certain way toward Lux and vice versa. I got a lot of complaints about their behaviors being out of character, but I still think they were perfectly in character considering all that was happening. Different situations bring about different kinds of behaviors in people. This was a very complicated situation that I never thought would cause for so much backlash. **

**This was just my opinion, which I put a lot of thought in. I wasn't just aimlessly writing without thinking it through. **

**This was a ridiculously long author's note, but since I keep getting people telling me the same thing over and over and over and over and over again, it was definitely needed. I can't handle explaining all of this one more time. Having to repeat myself is one of my pet peeves. Especially, repeating all of this info like 15 times. It's very time consuming. So I'm just going to leave it up and direct those people to it. **

**Now you don't have to agree with me. I guess we all see the characters differently. This is how I see them so this is how the story went.**

**This is a story. Fiction. I never claim for any of my stories to be realistic and 100% in character. I just try to keep it entertaining and try to make it so that it's true to their personalities but if I go off a little then oh well... *Shoulder shrug. Not a big deal to me but apparently it is to others. Anyways this is my explanation so yep…**

**I WILL LET YOU KNOW WHEN THE SEQUEL HAS BEEN POSTED BY AN UPDATE TO THIS ONE. **

**Thank you all for reading. And if you've read all 42 chapters, I applaud you because I am seriously incapable of doing that. After the twelfth chapter, I'm just like "Okay! Next Story!" So you guys are really freaking amazing if you have completed this!**

**And despite the negativity I have received, this was seriously my favorite story. I had a lot of fun writing it and hopefully some of you liked it :) **


	43. SEQUEL QUESTIONS

Chapter 1 of the sequel is going up soon!

Let me know what you're most interested in seeing.

I have my own ideas obviously but am curious on your thoughts since you've followed the story for over 40 chapters.

Please try to answer the following questions (okay if only some are answered):

**Which characters should I focus on?**

**Should Lux remain… difficult?** If you have specific ideas feel free to include them.

**Should Eric and Lux continue their relationship after Eric discovers how old Lux is?**

**Who should Lux stay with? Stef or Mike?**

**And how do you feel about Valerie (Lux's old foster mom) making her way back into the picture?**

I'm really interested in hearing your feedback. I've spoken to some readers about these questions and have gotten a lot of mixed answers.

I can write the story either way, but even I keep going back and forth in regards to where I should take this sequel…which is why I need your help

**Side Note: I will be posting the first chapter tomorrow and updating "What Is She Doing Here" as well. **


	44. Chapter 44

The sequel will be posted in like 5 minutes.

I split the title, so it will be called "This Is Now"


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